


Gifts

by Irishrose



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Spuffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-10
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:51:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3324803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irishrose/pseuds/Irishrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy has another birthday catastrophy, or is it? The outcome will change the way good battles evil for all time. This is the first story in my series "The Lines". Begins mid season 7 and goes AU from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Four Weeks.

It had been four weeks since they had received the call from Spike. 

_“Red,..it’s...”_

_“Spike? Did you find her? Spike what is it?” There had been silence for what seemed like forever on the other end._

_“The hospital, I....it....she’s bad, Red.”_

Willow and Giles had made it to the hospital in record time, but that had been four weeks ago. Now she stood outside Buffy’s room watching the blond vampire who refused to leave. She knew eventually Buffy would wake up. Faith’s head injury had been just as bad and she'd come out of her coma. But, Willow seriously hoped it wouldn't take Buffy as long to wake up because she was pretty certain Spike wouldn't last that long.

Giles strolled up next to Willow and stared through the window with her.

“I’m calling...”

“Angel?” Giles finished for her. “I had contemplated it myself.”

“We have to do something Giles. I don’t think he will last much longer. We’ve tried everything else, and he is the only other souled vampire there is.”

“I agree. I must say, I knew Spike had a..a thing for Buffy, but I had no idea. I still don’t understand what it is that he blames himself for. What makes you think Angel will help him? Last I recall, they were quite at odds with each other.”

“He’ll do it for Buffy.” It was the truth. She would tell him about Buffy and he would come. Then she would get him to help Spike. Oh boy, there was a lot she was going to have to tell Angel.

“You’re not going to tell him about Spike, are you?” Giles asked. 

“Nope,” Willow replied.

**********

Angel was driving so fast he was certain he would't get a ticket. In fact, he was certain that the highway patrol wouldn’t even see his car fly by, he was driving so fast. Willow said there was no hurry, but she hadn’t really told him more than the fact that Buffy was in the ICU before he'd grabbed his keys and hit the door. Wesley had called on the cell and given him hell about leaving like that and scaring poor Fred senseless without even telling anyone what was going on. He'd also said that Willow had called back and let Fred know what was going on and then her and Gunn had called Wesley since they were unsure what to do. Wesley assured Angel that perhaps it wasn’t too bad, and that slayer healing would help her. Angel simply responded that Willow wouldn’t have called him unless...

_“I wasn’t there last time, Wes. I have to be there.”_

_“Yes well, keep us posted. Things seem to have quieted a bit. But, Angel we need you here as soon as things are stabilized.”_

That was 20 minutes ago. Angel had slowed down when he hit the city limit. She'd be angry if he ran over some pedestrian in “her” city. He wheeled the car into the nearest parking spot and quickly found the ICU. Willow saw him coming and practically sprinted towards him. God, this had to be worse that he thought. She looked terrified. 

He grabbed her arms, “Is she...?” He swallowed hard, he couldn’t even say the words. He’d already faced this twice before and he still couldn’t say the words.

“No, no, Angel she’s fine. Well, not fine but... Angel, we need to talk.”

**********

Much to his objection, Willow pulled Angel back down the hallway...away from Buffy’s room.

“What is it?” Angel urgently requested.

“Angel, there is a lot you need to know before you go in there,” Willow started. Angel began to protest that he had seen it before, but Willow cut him off, “It’s not about Buffy.”

“OK, I’m confused. Willow, I thought you said something was wrong with Buffy? Don’t tell me I just broke the land speed record because of…who…Xander?” Because if it is, I’ll just finish him myself, Angel thought idly to himself. Never had really like him.

Willow almost laughed as she could almost see what Angel was thinking to himself, but quickly grounded her thoughts.

“She’s in a coma Angel. We don’t know the whole story, but apparently she was fighting a, I think he said a Mo'rok, demon and she ended up with some pretty bad head trauma. It’s been four weeks now.” She saw the look of understanding and, was it fear, cross his face. “I’m sure she’ll come out of it eventually; but, that’s not what we’re worried about so much as...” She stopped. Oh goddess, what if he stormed out once she told him? What if he just staked Spike outright? What if…

Willow heard a very loud and very angry growl echo down the hall, drawing her back from her own thoughts. Goddess, when had he gone back down the hall? She ran the few steps back to the room and with a speed almost too fast to be human, she stopped in front of Angel. 

“What is HE doing here?” Angel growled.

“He's the reason I called you. Angel, please...let’s go outside.” Oh, this was bad. He looked very confused and angry, and he wasn’t budging. “Angel, he’s guarding her, now please...” She touched his arm gently, but had a very fiery look in her eyes. He snatched his arm out of her hand and walked the short distance to the nearby door.

“What do you want from me, Willow? What the hell could I possibly do for Spike other than stake him, and why is he guarding her?”

“He has a soul Angel.”

She had said it so softly that she knew that without his enhanced hearing, he wouldn't have heard it over the din of the hospital. His initial shock lasted only seconds before giving way to, was that petulance?

“What did you say?” he finally stammer out. She smirked. He was probably hoping he'd heard her wrong.

“He has a soul. Apparently he went through some trial thing in Africa, and now he has a soul.” How much should she tell him, she wondered. Best to tell the truth, but not too much. “Look Angel, you need to know he’s the one who saved her life.” Shocked, Angel was back to looking shocked. Good. Shocked was better than angry. She continued, “After we brought Buffy back from what we thought was hell and turned out to be heaven, she started seeing Spike. He’s in love with her Angel. He’s the one who found her the night she was hurt and since then he hasn't moved from that chair.”

“I..what..no, no, no, no, you’re joking right? This is some kind of joke.”

“Angel,” Willow tentatively began, “there’s more. She’s in love with him too.” Oh boy, that did it. He looked like he was gonna blow, or maybe vomit. Did vampires vomit?

****************  
Angel turned his head up and stared at the stars. He was sure that if he had fed, he would be puking it all up right about now, and vampires didn't puke. How could this be? His Buffy (HIS Buffy!) was lying in a coma, and she and Spike were in love? And Spike had a soul now? And Willow had called him because she wanted him to do what, console Spike? This had to be some cosmic joke from The Powers.

Angel clenched his teeth and looked at Willow, barely controlling his anger. “Tell me what you want from me.”

“I want you to help Spike. The rest of us have run out of ideas. He won’t move. He doesn’t speak, except to say that it’s all his fault, and he hasn’t eaten at all since she’s been in here. In fact, I don't think he's fed much at all since her birthday. You’re the only other vampire with a soul so....”

“So you thought I would just jump right in and wet nurse the guy who tortured me the last time we met?” 

“Angel, if you don’t help him I don’t know how much longer he'll last. I don’t think she could take someone else she loves leaving her. Everyone has left her, Angel. You did, Riley did, Giles, her mom, me. We’ve all abandoned her in one way or another, but not him. You may not like it but she needs him; and, apparently he needs her.”

Angel flinched. Willows words rang deeply. He knew she was right, but this was not the way things were supposed to go.

“Willow, I left so she could move on, have a normal guy. I didn’t leave so she could shack up with Spike.” No, I definitely didn’t leave so THAT could happen, he thought to himself.

“Angel, she will never be normal. Never have normal. Spike has a soul now, he's changed. He...he makes her happy, Angel. Please, I know this will be hard, but please? For Buffy?”


	2. Chapter 2

He'd been staring through the glass into the room for almost four hours. How could he even be thinking of doing this? He should just stake Spike and sweep up the dust. The vampire he hated more than any other vampire, was in love with Buffy. And he looked like hell, too. That thought brought a warm smile to his face. Willow had told him that Spike hadn’t moved from that chair, not even to feed, in the four weeks since he'd found Buffy; hadn't been feeding since her birthday more than two months ago. What had happened? He needed to know more.

“I need some blood,” He finally told Willow, not turning around to look at her. She'd been sitting in the chair behind him since they'd finished their little talk.

“The thermos on the table is fresh, but we can't get him to take it. It’s even human, we bought it from Willy’s old place.”

“I’m not promising anything. I just need to know what the hell happened here.” He was still staring at Spike through the window.

Having made up his mind, Angel walked into the room slowly, stopping right in between Spike’s chair and Buffy’s bed. She looked like she always did one of the hundreds of times he had watched her sleeping. Like she would wake up any second. He silently begged her to wake and tell him that Willow was wrong. After a few minutes, he turned and his right fist shot out and met with Spike’s left eye sending him out of the chair and a few feet across the room.

Spike sat up and without looking at Angel crawled back into the chair that Angel had righted and stared again at the floor. Angel watched this in curious fascination. Spike had never been one to back down from a fight, and that was what he wanted right now. He wanted to beat Spike until his brain leaked out. He gave Spike another right, but Spike just sat there. Angel turned and stared out the window. The sun would be up soon. Maybe he could just throw him outside.

“I’m not leaving them.”

It was soft whisper Angel didn’t think he’d heard. He glanced warily at Spike.

“Do what you like, I’m not leaving them,” Spike said flatly.

Angel looked hard at Spike, deciding he was definitely in the land of the insane. Them? Them who?

“My fault you know. Shouldn’t have let her patrol. Not like that. My… fault...” Spike was still looking at the same spot on the floor.

Angel sucked in a sharp breath in anger. Ok, so Spike had hurt Buffy somehow. Angel picked up the thermos and threw it in Spike’s lap. “What happened Spike? What did you do to her?”  
Spike didn’t touch the thermos and for several seconds he didn’t answer either.

“Imbolc... for her birthday,” Spike finally uttered.

“Imbolc? The Spell?” Angel asked. “You did the Imbolc Spell for her? That doesn’t make sense, she’s already human Spike. That spell only works on vampires.” Angel shook his head. Buffy’s birthday was a couple of months ago and she'd only been in a coma for the last four weeks according to Willow. 

“SPIKE! It’s a one day spell for vampires, and it doesn't even work half the time. There’s got to be something else. What… did… you… do?” Still no reply. Angel turned and stared back at Buffy.

“You hear them?” Spike finally spoke.

“Hear what?”

“Drums, pounding away, beating in my head, reminding me of what I did to her. It’s my fault, my fault...my....” Spike had trailed off and was now what could best be called weeping.

“Spike you’re not making any sense. Drusilla makes more sense that you do right now.” What the heck was he talking about? Drums? OK, he needed a break. Maybe he could find a doctor or nurse who could shed some light on the situation.

Willow had fallen asleep in the chair outside the room. Angel wandered down the hallway and found a doctor at the nurses station, writing on a chart. Angel cleared his throat, “Excuse me, are you Buffy’s doctor? Can you tell me how she is?”

“Ms. Summers? Yes, are you family?” The doctor asked.

“She’s my wife.” Sure, it was a lie today, but someday maybe... At the doctor's shocked expression he quickly added, “We’ve been separated. I just found out today she was here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Perhaps you can talk some sense into her brother? The nurses have given up trying to get him to leave the room. I fear he is taking this rather hard.” The doctor looked beseechingly at Angel.

“Brother? Oh, yeah, well... I’m not holding my breath. I think all the bleach fried his brain over the years. Now… Buffy?” Angel hoped the doctor didn’t catch that slip.

“Oh yes, well, your wife seems to be doing remarkably well given her initial injuries. I'm concerned that she's still comatose, but at the rate she has healed I’m still hoping she will come out of it. The longer she remains comatose, the more grave the situation, but just two years ago we had a young woman about her age who woke after a year and a half. Your wife suffered significant head trauma, but the skull fractures have healed remarkably, and the rest of her wounds are all but gone. There is some residual swelling around the brain, which is why we are monitoring her more closely than most comatose patients. That and her pregnancy, which seems to progressing normally despite the trauma she suffered.” He stated very matter-of-factly.

Angel stared at the doctor like he had sprouted an extra head, and just blinked. Then before the doctor himself could blink twice, Angel was gone.

Angel ran back into Buffy’s room and came to a stop just inside the room. He looked back and forth between Spike and Buffy, taking giant gulps of air his lungs didn’t even need. 

This couldn’t be right. The doctor must have been thinking of someone else. Then Spike’s words echoed through his mind. 'Drums...' Angel thought. He stilled himself and willed his lungs to stop. He closed his eyes and he listened.

There were a million sounds. Hospital sounds. Machines. People. Focus, damn it. OK, he thought. Buffy... Buffy breathing. Buffy’s heart beating. And then he heard it. There were three heart beats in the room. One strong, slow, and loud...and two very fast and much softer ones.....


	3. Chapter 3

“No” Spike had calmly denied.

“But Spike, her birthday is in a few days. We have to do something!” Dawn was using her best hurt little girl voice.

“Look Bit, she already said she didn’t want anything. In fact, she wants you and all the girls out of the house on Friday. Not inclined to argue with her on this one.” Spike was busying himself trying to make some breakfast for all girls now living there.

“Dawn, I’m not one to agree with Spike on, well, anything,” Willow said as she walked around the kitchen island, “But he’s right. Every party we try to throw for Buffy's birthday ends in chaos and destruction. Heavy on the destruction.”

Dawn simply stuck her bottom lip out and tried to pout. 

“Bit, you can stop giving me that look. Not gonna work this time.”  
“Oooohhhh, you guys are impossible!” Dawn had shouted as she stormed out.

“Red, since you’re feeling agreeable, I need a favor.” He spared a glance at a wary Willow. “I want to do a spell for Buffy, for when everyone is gone.” Willow was just staring at him as though he had spoken Swahili. “Look, I know I don’t usually go for the magicks, consequences an' all, but she deserves a decent birthday for once. Maybe a protection spell or something. Something to give her some way to defend herself again whatever bloody curse someone put on her.”  
***************

Willow watched Spike as he finished the pancakes for the girls. She had thought a lot about Spike and Buffy since his rescue from the First. She almost thought she could hear Tara whispering in her ear sometimes, telling her to watch them together. She had seen the laughs. The little touches they didn’t even seem to notice themselves. The way her and Tara had been once. Maybe they just needed a little something to push them in the right direction.”

“I have a better idea Spike. Have you heard of the Imbolc Spell?”

“Um, yeah, vampire here. But I'm not seeing where you're going here, Red. That spell only works on vampires and it’s not that effective. Even if some idiot does get it to work, only lasts for a day at best.” Spike was now staring at her, and clearly he was wondering what she up to.

“What are you up to?” He asked.

“I want to do the spell for you. As a birthday gift for Buffy. You could do all the stuff normal guys would. You know, dinner and some girly movies. Veg on the couch. Something normal for Buffy.”

“Something normal.” Spike face clearly said that this all sounded a lot simpler than it was. “Look Red, I’m not holding out anything for us, I just...”

“Spike, I want to give her what she deserves. Maybe then she can move on, see what she’s missing with a normal guy. You can’t tell me you don’t think she should. You know, move on with her life.” Willow really hoped she wasn’t pushing him too hard, but she was certain this last reason would get the desired response.

Spike gave her a really hard look for what seemed like minutes. “OK. But you better not mess up the mojo... turn me into a Parvo demon or anything like that. And I don't want my insides fried extra crispy, either.”

Willow beamed her happiness. “OK then. Friday afternoon before she gets home. That way you can surprise her.”

**********

“Bloody hell, do you really have to do all those symbols?” Spike asked. She had painted a half dozen strange symbols on his back and chest.

“I think that I can stretch the spell out to at least a full 24 hours or more. I’m almost done.” She finished the last symbol and started lighting the candles. She handed Spike a jar as she started lighting the candles. “Circle” she instructed him. He gave her a very annoyed glare and then did as he was told. “Now, sit.” He did as he was told, albeit still glaring at her, and Willow took her seat in front of him.

She started the incantation chanting in Latin, which she hated. It was so tedious. However, she had only said about six lines and then started to take on a strange white glow. Spike was now nervously watching her. Then suddenly all of the candles except the one directly in front of Spike blew out and the basement was filled with a wind that swirled around Spike and engulfed him. His skin turned bright red as the wind seemed to be burning every inch on his body and he started involuntarily shaking.

The next thing Willow knew, Spike was screaming and thrashing around on the floor. His back arched up in pain. This went on for several seconds and then with a sudden loud gasp from Spike it was over and he lay there unmoving and unresponsive.

“Spike? SPIKE?” She was shaking him. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he started taking huge gasping breaths of air. Willow quickly felt his wrist for a pulse. It was there. It had worked. He was alive!

“What...did it…” Spike was trying to speak between gasps.

“Spike, it’s OK. Just breath slowly. In and out. In and out. That’s it. How do you feel?” Willow asked cautiously.

“Like I’m bloody dying. God, what’s that pounding?” He asked

Willow laughed. “It’s your heart beating, Spike.”

“Oh. Right then. It worked?” She nodded as she helped him sit up.

“Now, on to phase two.” Willow said as she helped him stand.


	4. Chapter 4

Xander had dropped Buffy off at the curb when she had refused to let him come in. And with any luck, Giles will have already taken the girls over to the mansion on Crawford. She didn’t want any of them around when the next disaster disguised as her birthday rolled around at midnight. I’ll take myself a nice bath and then couch potato it, she thought absently. It would be really nice not to have to share her bedroom with a bunch of strange girls. She might even get to have hot water, she thought more excitedly.

“Hello?” She called as she opened the front door. No answer. That was good. She glanced around and did a double take as she saw Spike holding open the drapes in the dining room bathing in the sun, his eyes closed. Without thinking she tackled him from the side and they landed in a heap with Buffy on top.

“What the hell were you thinking?” She asked angrily

“Well pet, I was enjoying the warmth until you decided I needed a tumble. Not that I’m objecting mind you.” Spike cocked on playful brow at Buffy and smirked.

Buffy quickly jumped up and off of him. “You suddenly forget your extreme allergy to sun?” She fumed while helping him to stand.

“Got over it, love”

“What do you mean you got over it? Vampires don’t get over spontaneous combustion in sunlight.” She began to wonder if he was back to being insane again. He was just standing there smiling at her. Yes, he was probably insane again.

Spike slowly reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, still grinning, and then slid it down her arm in a very tender motion that made her heart skip a beat. She almost pulled away but decided to see where he was going with this. He took her hand and pulled it to his lips. He kissed her palm lightly and then placed her hand on his chest. 

Thump, Thump....Thump, thump.....thump, thump...

Buffy simply stared at her hand as if it belonged to some other body. His heart. It’s beating. His chest was moving in and out, Oh GOD he was breathing. He’s.. 

“Alive?” she said aloud without even realizing it.

“Yes love. Happy birthday.” He said, his voice catching a bit.

“Spike how? When?” She couldn’t even form complete sentences, she was so shocked.

“It’s just a 24 hour spell. Red thought you might like something 'normal’ for your birthday.” Spike said, while glancing down at the floor rather sheepishly.

Buffy took his chin in her hand and tilted his face up to hers and looked in his eyes. Those deep blue pools that she loved to look into when no one was looking. He had changed everything about himself for her. He doesn’t understand… I don’t want normal. 

“Thank you. I love it.” She said and tears started rolling down her cheeks.  
*********************

Spike flinched. A part of him had hoped she wouldn’t be happy about the spell. That would mean she wanted normal, and part of him hoped she still wanted the monster that he really was. He quickly pushed back the thoughts and lifted a hands to sweep away the tears on her face. 

“Hey now, none of that.” Then he quickly dropped his hands and took her hand in his. “Got a surprise for you,” he said as he lead her through the house and out the back door.

He'd surprised her with a very elegant dinner on the back porch and then they had gone decidedly inelegant on the couch watching several very “girlish” movies, before they had both unwittingly fallen asleep on the couch.  
*********************

Buffy slowly woke the next morning with the wonderful feeling of something warm underneath her, holding her tightly. She opened her eyes and realized she was in her living room and the previous night came back to her. She pulled back a little and looked over to see Spike sleeping soundly. 

They were cuddled together, and it felt good. Buffy felt her breath catch as she looked in awe at Spike's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, so beautiful. Before she caught herself, Buffy leaned in and place a light kiss on Spike’s soft lips.  
************************

A dream. It’s another one of my dreams, Spike thought to himself. She wouldn’t be kissing me if this were real. Oh well, why fight it? He started returning the kiss. Slowly at first, then deeper. Gently pulling on her shoulders he sought entrance to her warm mouth, sliding his tongue over her soft warm lips. It felt different than usual. More real. His eyes opened as he pulled back from Buffy and blinked several times. “Buffy?”

She looked at his questioning eyes and answered with another kiss. Gentle, yet more demanding than the first.

She wants this, god she want this. Spike suddenly felt himself responding with gusto. They were now kissing with all the pent up passion of the last few months. Each one feeling they needed to prove to themselves that this was really happening. 

Their hands started hungrily roaming over every inch of each other and their bodies ignited in each others flames. Spike was pulling up Buffy’s skirt as she knowingly undid the buckle on his pants and freed him from the confines of his jeans. With one thrust he was in buried completely inside her and they froze. 

They stared at each other for long moments before Buffy slowly started moving in small circles above him. Spike’s eyes fluttered closed and his jaw tightened as he started to move with her. Their tempo increased to a heated frenzy as both sought release. Suddenly Buffy stopped and her body shuttered as she felt her climax hit her in waves. The sensation was more than Spike could handle and she pulled him over the edge with her, his body shuddering its release.

They both lay there motionless for what seemed like eternity until Spike finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry...”

“Shhh.” Buffy placed one finger on his lips. “Don’t. I wanted this. Still want it. Spike, I want you. I didn’t want to before, but I get it now. I lo...”

Spike leaned up and kissed her before she could finish the sentence. He didn’t think he could bear it if she said those words now, knowing he would be back to the monster she didn’t love in a few short hours.  
*******************

Why wouldn’t he let me say it? She wondered. Well, she would just have to show him. She stood up and took his hand, leading him up the stairs and into her bedroom. They had spent the rest of the day there. Making love countless times. In slow languid motions, and fast passion filled ones until both had collapsed into sleep, completely spent.

*******************

No one responded when Willow return to the house the next morning despite her calling Buffy and Spike's names several times quite loudly when she came in.

I wonder where they ran off to? Willow thought idly to herself. Probably went to the mansion to give the all clear. I wonder how the day went. Willow hummed happily to herself. Hopefully everything went well and she had managed to set right the world that was Spike and Buffy. Her rather happy moment was shattered when she heard pain filled scream come from Buffy’s bedroom.  
*******************

Spike felt like he was being ripped open. His lungs were wildly gasping and he felt his heart skipping and slowing. He felt the heat leaving his body. Cold. He was so cold. “Oh god no, not here.” 

He fumbled around, managing to get out of the bed and get his jeans pulled on. He took a few panicked steps before falling to his knees. Buffy was saying something, but he couldn’t make it out. He had to get out of there. Couldn’t let her see this, see him dead again.

Spike crawled the rest of the distance to the door before Buffy had reached him looking horrified. He tried to push her away with his last burst of energy, and then everything slipped away into nothingness.  
********************

“Spike? SPIKE? Oh, no, no, no, no, not again. I’m sorry Spike. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Buffy had reached Spike where he had collapsed on the floor and had pulled his lifeless body to her as a flood of tears rained down her face. He had done it all for her. She had been so selfish. How could he love her after everything she had done to him?

Willow suddenly burst through her door and found her in a heap on the floor with Spike cradled in her lap. She quickly pulled Spikes limp arm over and checked for his pulse. She shook her head.

“He’ll be OK. He's just back to being himself. I'm sorry, Buffy.”  
Buffy just continued to rock him as she cried.  
********************

Spike's eyes fluttered open to see Buffy crying over him and Willow staring at the floor. Buffy had wanted him human, and now was mourning for the live man he had been. He weakly managed to push Buffy back and stand up, and somehow stumble down the stairs. He grabbed the blanket off the couch and ran through the door into the early morning. He was gone before Willow could catch up to him.


	5. Chapter 5

Buffy had been coldly going around the house ever since her birthday. She was sleeping late, hadn’t eaten hardly a thing and seemed to vomit anything she did eat. Willow could almost kick herself for what had happened. Neither she nor Buffy had told the others what had happened that morning when Willow got home. She had simply contented the others that Buffy’s usual birthday disaster had hit while they were all gone. No one had seen Spike since that morning and Willow hadn’t seen Buffy look so bad since right after they'd resurrected her. She almost looked like she had died again.

“Willow, I was wondering if I might have a word with you.” Giles said. He was filling his cup from the tea kettle on the stove.

Oh, this was bad Willow thought. But maybe he knows how to bring her out of this.

“I’ve noticed Buffy isn’t quite herself lately and I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to what is going on?” He was staring at Willow rather pointedly.

“I don’t know what you mean Giles.” Willow stammered.

“Well, lets see. Spike has disappeared. Buffy is a shadow who sleeps endlessly, won’t eat, and has been retching ceaselessly. All since her birthday. And you’ve been avoiding all of our questions regarding her birthday, since then. Not that I mind not seeing Spike moon over Buffy, but I am terribly worried about her. Did something happen to Spike?”

“Not so much to as with,” Willow mumbled out before catching herself. 

“Oh my, I see,” Giles only looked a little shocked and now he was doing that glasses thing.

“I had rather hoped she had staked him. I guess if I didn’t want to know I shouldn’t have asked,” Giles said, replacing his glasses. “Well, we all knew there would be repercussions if this happened. I just didn’t expect her to be so, so, sickly about it. I should go talk with her. It has been 2 months since it happened…"

“And the girls are all complaining about the staying out of Buffy’s bathroom thing. I mean, how long can a dozen girls with, um, ...needs..., share one bathroom.” I really should just put a lock on my mouth, Willow thought. I wonder if there is a spell for putting a lock on your own… OH. MY.GODDESS.... "needs...” And with that word, Giles was left to stare through the kitchen door that Willow had just run through.

Willow practically broke the bathroom door she came through so fast. 

“Buffy!!!” She practically shouted, then quieter, “Buffy. I know you don’t want to talk about this and you have every right to be upset that Spike hasn’t come back and all. But I think there’s more to you being sick than just ‘being sick’ over Spike.”

Buffy was sitting on the floor, her head held up by an arm propped up on the toilet. “Huh?” Buffy replied with a confused look. “Speak English, Will. I’m not exactly all here at the moment.”

“No Buffy, I think you’re all there all right, even more of you is there.” Willow bit her lip. She didn’t want to really come out and say it. Particularly with lots of ears around the house that might overhear.

“Look, I really don’t feel like a guessing game today, and you’re not making much sense in any kind of way here.” Buffy's face suddenly turned decidedly green and she clutched the toilet until it she had emptied her stomach, yet again.

“Buffy,” Willow sat in the floor nest to Buffy and was whispering now. “Do you remember when you last cycle was?” She was biting her lip again.

“Don’t be silly, of coarse. It was, um. Well, it was...” Buffy was blankly looking towards the sink.

“Was is a couple weeks before your birthday?” Willow shyly asked.

Realization obviously dawned on Buffy as she finally understood what Willow had been trying to say. “No. Can’t be. I mean, I can’t, er rather Spike can’t...cause he’s a vampire and they can’t...you know...”

“Buffy, Spike was human on your birthday,” Willow interrupted.

“Oh my god,” Buffy looked extremely panicked, especially for Buffy. “No. We’ll just get one of those home thingys and I’ll show you you’re wrong.”

Two hours later Willow and Buffy were once again sitting on the bathroom floor. But now they were staring at two lines on both tests Willow had bought.

“You can’t tell anyone, Willow.” Buffy was now staring straight at her and had that very determined look on her face.

“But Buffy, at least Giles should know. I mean we need to change you’re training and...”

“That's exactly why you can’t tell him.” Buffy reiterated. “Nothing is going to change.” Willow had begun to protest again and added that everyone would figure out soon anyway when Buffy had cut her off with a look that shot daggers..

“OK, I won’t tell anyone. But promise me one thing? You’ll tell Spike? He deserves to know, Buffy.”

Buffy just looked down at the floor tiles and whispered, “I know”

**********

Two months. It had been over two months since that nightmare. Spike tipped up the bottle and finished off the last of the tequila. He tossed it across the room sending it crashing into the wall.

“Hey!” Clem jumped up. “Spike, you know, I don’t mind you staying here but you gotta respect the crypt!”

“Sorry mate,” Spike mumbled as he drunkenly nodded half conscious.

Just then the door crashed open and in the entrance stood a very angry looking Buffy.

“Hey! I suddenly remembered I’ve got some shopping to do. Good seeing you Buffy.” Clem managed before he hastily left the crypt.

“Do you know how hard you are to find?” Buffy said, stepping in to the dark room.

“Apparently not hard enough,” Spike said and then half laughed thinking he’d said something funny.

Buffy had closed the distance and was standing in front of him, giving him her best pissed off stance.  
*******************  
She had spent a good week trying to track down Spike. She had found out he was still alive, well undead, easy enough. But finding out where he was hiding out had been another story. 

She eyed the blond vampire in front of her. She had thought a lot about him, about the baby. She had begun to think life might not actually be half bad if she could just fix everything. And Spike looked like he needed a lot of fixing at the moment. 

“You’re drunk.”

“Well, yeah.” Spike said looking up at her his head still bobbing a bit. “Bloody hell Slayer, you look like....well, hell.”

“Thanks to you Spike. OK, us, but mostly you.” 

“Don’t think I caught that one slayer, wanna try again? I’ll try harder to understand you this time.” He snickered.

“Spike, look. You remember my birthday, right? Well” Buffy started pacing back and forth in front of Spike. “You were human, and I was human, and sometimes things happen when two humans, you know, get together.”  
**********************

Bloody bitch had come here to rub it in his face that she wanted a human guy. Well, he wasn’t going to listen to this. Suddenly he needed more alcohol, he thought to himself.

“Look slayer, I know you go for the live crowd now. I get it, so just clear out and leave me the hell alone!” Spike was now standing in Buffy’s path and she was staring at him like he had grown another head.

“What? huh? God Spike, could you be any more stupid? I came here to tell you I’m pregnant you moron!”  
*********************  
Oh, hell. I really didn’t mean to tell him like that, Buffy thought. Oh well, cats out. Let's see how he takes it.

He just stood there looking at her. She took one hand and pushed up on his chin until his mouth closed, snapping Spike back from whatever land his mind had escaped to.

“Come again Slayer?” He asked, his eyes squinted and searching her face.

“I said... I’m pregnant,” She quietly finished.

Spike just sat down in the chair he had been in earlier and stared into space for what felt to Buffy like an eternity.

“Spike, please. Say something.”

He finally looked up at Buffy and she thought her heart would melt away. He had that look. The one that she had seen on the stairs the night Willow had resurrected her. His eyes traveled down to look at her stomach. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then they flew open again and he looked up at her face with what looked like... awe? God, could he hear it? His expression told her he could. She almost felt jealous. 

"Bloody hell," Spike whispered as he reached a hand up and put his palm on her stomach. After several long seconds, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him as he buried his head in her stomach. It didn't take long for her to feel the dampness on her shirt.

They had stayed like that forever it seemed. Buffy gently stroking Spikes hair as tears fell from both of them. Finally she felt him collect himself and push her back a little as he stood up. He quickly wiped his face with the back of his hand and looked down at her.

“We should get you back home pet, you look like hell.” He gave her that sad smile of his.

“Nuh, uh. I was so busy trying to find you, I haven’t had a chance to patrol yet.” Buffy stated very matter of factly.

“And you’re not going to either. I can’t believe your watcher is letting you patrol. We’ll get you home and then I’ll do it. No more patrolling for you; too dangerous now.” Spike said as he took her by the shoulders forcing her to see his expression.

“He doesn’t know,” Buffy said quietly, then quickly added “No one does, and you’re not going to tell them either. I am the slayer and I will patrol. I’m not dropping everything just because of this,” Buffy said with more anger than she meant to.

“Oh, so the dead man is back to being the mystery guy, eh?” Spike said and let out a bitter laugh. “Well slayer, they’ll all catch on to your little game soon enough, and I don’t care what you say, you are not to patrol alone. Every demon in this town will be gunning for you as soon as word gets out, and believe me it will. Those that can’t hear it can sense it or smell it.”

Spike had practically run her through her patrol. Buffy couldn’t remember when she had taken less time on a patrol. They didn’t even hit one of the cemeteries. Spike had quickly staked two fledglings before Buffy could even get close and then insisted they go home. Home. Buffy thought smugly to herself. That meant he was coming home. 

The thought made Buffy absently glide a hand over her stomach. They would all be together. This was going to be good. Everything was finally going to be good.


	6. Chapter 6

No sooner had they gotten home (to the startled looks of everyone but Willow) than Spike had all but handed her off to Willow with instructions to make sure she got to bed and then he headed for the basement.

Spike had spent the entire next day in the basement. He hadn’t come up to see her, or even looked in the refrigerator as far as she knew. Well, it was dark and Buffy wasn’t going to take it any more. She wasn’t some child who needed looked after. She grabbed her jacket and informed Giles she was going to patrol. Alone. He'd asked if she was feeling better, and she'd lied. She was just as nauseated, and tired, but she was going anyway! She wasn’t going to be a captive in her own home. No sooner had she opened the back door, than she noticed Spike sitting on the porch steps. He had been waiting for her.

“Nice try slayer.” He was looking at Buffy and looked anything but happy. Spike handed Buffy a jacket and extended a hand toward the yard.

Each night Buffy had tried to sneak out to patrol. She had tried the doors and the bedroom window. Heck, she had even tried to sneak out Dawn’s window, and each time Spike had been patiently waiting at the end of her escape route. Last night Buffy had actually smiled when she got to the ground and saw Spike waiting for her. She could have sworn he had been smiling too for a half second.

Their patrols had become more comfortable. They now talked a lot while making the rounds. Of coarse, each night it seemed to Buffy that the patrols were getting busier as well, leaving less time for talk. Last night had been the worst. They had been laughing about Dawn's latest scheme to get out of doing the dishes when they had been surrounded by seven vampires. Spike had let out a line of curses, most of which Buffy didn’t recognize, but she knew enough of them to feel herself blush.

Spike had reluctantly “allowed” her to take out three of the vamps as he took on the other four. Somehow the last vamp had managed to get her off balance and she had fallen back against a large tombstone. The vamp was about to pounce when he had burst into dust as Buffy thrust upward with her stake right into his chest. Buffy was beginning to feel good about the slayage again when Spike had to go and ruin it.

“That does it pet. No more slaying for you.” Spike had proclaimed, extending a hand to Buffy.

“What do you mean no more slaying. I’m the Slayer, Spike, that’s what I do.” Buffy answered defiantly.

“Not anymore.” Spike firmly grabbed ahold of her arm and forced her to look in his eyes. “It’s getting too dangerous pet, and it’s only going to get worse. We have to worry about more than just you now.”

“You think I don’t know that? Have you forgotten exactly who’s the pregnant one here?” She was really angry now.

“Slayer, this isn’t up for debate. I will do the patrols from now on.” He was staring into her eyes, trying to tell her something without actually telling her. Like she was somehow supposed to know whatever it was. Whatever. She dropped his gaze and nodded her head, noting this caused Spike to look up toward the sky. She swore he was saying a a silent thank you to whatever deity vampires prayed to.

They had made it home with only two more vampire run ins. Spike had actually hung around and talked a little with the girls and Giles. He almost seemed happy. Relaxed even. Then seeing the yawn she had unsuccesfully tried to hide, he had excused them and ushered her to the stairs telling her she should get to bed. 

She had obediently gone up and showered quickly. When she got to her room, she saw on the bed a tray with a bowl of chicken soup and some crackers, and a cup of what smelled like chamomile tea.

“Spike wanted me to make sure you ate and then went straight to bed.” Willow said, teasingly shaking her finger at her.

Buffy's demeanor suddenly became dark. She had taken enough of this babying. Sure she still couldn’t keep anything down and she was certain she had never felt this tired in her life, but she wasn’t a baby. This was going to end.

“Spike said that, huh?” Buffy picked up the tray and shoved it toward a very confused Willow. “I will eat and sleep when I feel like it.” Buffy announced loud enough for the whole house to hear and slammed the door hard enough to shake the house. She was fairly certain she heard a faint “bloody hell” before she flipped on the radio and sat down with a magazine on the bed. Which is how she found herself the next morning. Still wrapped in her towel with the magazine on her lap.

She stayed extra late at school that day. She'd called Giles and told him she had lots of paperwork to finish. She didn’t want to go home and have Spike treat her like she was some child again. 

When she got home she found the girls had already eaten dinner which saved her to effort of trying to and not make a mad dash for the bathroom. Giles told her Spike had already left to Patrol reasoning that Buffy needed the rest, which Giles seemed to agree with. Buffy had simply announced she was going to join him for the patrol and left. She was a grown woman, she could patrol alone. She didn’t need Spike to do it for her!

Buffy had almost finished her patrol without incident when a very large Mo'rok demon rounded the corner. Buffy had never seen one in person but she had read about it in their research. Practically invincible. Scales that made getting to sensitive areas hard. Buffy fought it for 15 minutes before she felt her leg snap under the crushing foot of the 600 pound demon when it had beat her to the ground. She was trying to get away, when it its foot came down on her head. She'd managed to her hands up to keep it from crushing her completely, but it wasn't going to be enough. Then the foot was gone and all she could hear were high-pitched screams before everything faded to black.

**********

Spike came in and hung his jacket over the back of the chair. He wandered about the house looking to see if Buffy had made it in yet. He didn’t want her being out after dark. Her hormones were beginning to draw in every vampire and demon for miles around.

“Spike?!” Willow had nearly run into him as he searched the house for Buffy. “Looking for Buffy? She went out patrolling.” Willow supplied off hand.

“You let her patrol? Alone?!” Spike bit out through clenched teeth, as he grabbed her and gave her a shake for good measure.

“She was already gone when I got home, Spike. What’s wrong?” Willow asked.

Giles had wandered in from the living room and was watching the display with obvious curiosity as Spike shook Willow again and asked, “How long?”

“I don’t know Spike,” Willow had looked imploringly at Giles, drawing Spikes questioning look to the watcher, too.

“About an hour or so?” Giles had supplied and then added, “Spike, is something wrong?” but he was already half way out the door, he didn't have time to explain.

He quickly remembered Buffy’s patrol routine and decided to work backward. He'd barely reached the first cemetery when he saw Buffy fighting the huge Mo'rok. He broke into a run again as he saw Buffy hit the ground. God, he wasn’t going to reach her in time. Spike got there just as the demon brought it’s foot down on Buffy’s skull with a sickening crunch. 

Spike’s rage burst every dam in him as he ripped the throat out of the demon, scales and all. The demon sputtered and collapsed.

Spike turned back to Buffy. She was bleeding from everywhere it seemed. Her hands were a mess. One leg looked to be broken. There was an gash on her head and he could see bone. It was bleeding badly. 

“Buffy? Buffy, love, come on. Open your eyes for me, pet.” Spike picked her up carefully cradling her head and felt the crunch of the broken bones in her leg. Spike was never so glad that this cemetery was the closest to the hospital as he ran with Buffy. He could hear her heart growing irregular. Her breathing erratic. 

“Come on love, stay with me. You can’t leave me again, Buffy. Not like this, not now love.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Angel ran back into Buffy’s room and came to a stop just inside the room. He looked back and forth between Spike and Buffy, taking giant gulps of air his lungs didn’t even need._

_This couldn’t be right. The doctor must have been thinking of someone else. Then Spike’s words echoed through his mind. 'Drums...' Angel thought. He stilled himself and willed his lungs to stop. He closed his eyes and he listened._

_There were a million sounds. Hospital sounds. Machines. People. Focus, damn it. OK, he thought. Buffy... Buffy breathing. Buffy’s heart beating. And then he heard it. There were three heart beats in the room. One strong, slow, and loud... and two very fast and much softer ones..._

**********

Angels eyes flew open and he looked at Buffy. Hard. He closed the distance to the bed in two steps and placed a hand on Buffy’s abdomen. He felt the pulsing there and his mind raced. Why hadn’t he sensed it? How could this be? His head whipped around to look at the bane of his existence. Angel easily stepped around the bed and with a loud angry growl he picked up Spike.

Willow came suddenly awake with the fierce growl that echoed from Buffy’s room. Just then the hall window to Buffy’s room shattered as Spike came flying through it. He hit the wall opposite and fell to the floor in a heap. Before Willow could blink, Angel was there, straddling Spike and pounding his face relentlessly.

“YOU BASTARD!” Angel ground out as he continued to mercilessly beat Spike. “I should’ve killed you YEARS ago.”

Willow thought quickly. She had to separate those two before Angel did kill Spike, but it wasn’t like she could just jump in between a wild and angry Angel and his Spike shaped punching bag.

“Separate!” Willow shouted, and Angel flew backwards down the hall 20 feet. Angel quickly got up and started striding back towards Spike. Willow immediately threw up a barrier wall in the hall. Angel simply started pounding on it and growling his objection. Willow quickly realized the sound of lots of breaking glass was drawing an audience of panicked and curious hospital staff who were going to rapidly notice Angel's game face. Willow threw together a quick glamour to hide Spike and get rid of the broken glass from the window, and then pushed a fold in the barrier as she walked through and grabbed Angel by the arm pulling him to turn around as he snarled and looked down at her as he jerked his arm out of her grasp.

“Whoa, Angel, you have something on your face making it all bumpy looking, you might want to do wipe that off!” Will practically shouted. It must have registered somewhat with Angel what she was trying to do, because he shifted back to his human face before turning back to the barrier between him and a very unconscious looking Spike. Willow quickly asked the staff if they had heard all that noise, and wondered aloud where it had come from, which had the desired effect of dispersing the small crowd.

“Let me back in Willow,” Angel demanded seethingly without even looking at her.

“You can’t kill him Angel,” Willow was whispering. “Buffy needs him.”

Angel faced back toward Willow, eyes now yellow as his demon begged freedom. “He’s killed her as sure as if he had fed from her and ripped her throat out.” Willow had flinched at his words. “Do you know what he did to her? Why he keeps mumbling it’s all his fault? Because it is Willow. She…Will… Die...” Willow was now backing away from Angel and shaking her head.

“No, Angel she was happy,” Willow began pleading with him. “Spike made her happy. Angel, you can’t kill him. Buffy needs him, Angel. She’s...”

Angel spun away from Willow and was staring at Buffy’s room “You should have told me, damn it.”

“Angel, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d take it well. And besides, Buffy made me promise not to tell anyone. She was very specific. ‘Not Giles, not Xander, and definitely not Angel,” Willow listed off. “She was pretty certain no one would let her continue slaying if they knew.”

Angel let out a laugh that sounded very bitter and cynical. “She’s right. You want to know why no one would let her?” Willow nodded her head indicating yes, her face shone with curiosity. “Have you ever heard of a pregnant slayer?” Willow thought and shook her head no. “That’s because they all die Willow. It makes them slower; throws them off. Not to mention, it draws in a hoard of extra demons looking for an easy shot at a weak slayer.”

Willow fell into the nearest chair. It all made sense now. Spike’s panic that Buffy had gone patrolling, Buffy’s insistence that no one know, Spike’s near catatonia and mumbling that it was all his fault. Willow felt her heart sinking. It wasn’t his fault at all; it was hers. It had been her idea to do the spell. She had been the one to push them back together. She hadn’t thought love would wind up killing Buffy again and sending Spike off the deep end.

“No, there must be more Angel. Something we’re missing, about all this. I feel it Angel.” Willow said with quiet assurance that she didn’t know had existed within her anymore.

Suddenly Willow heard a voice in her head calling her. Willow glanced up and found she and Angel were no longer in the hospital. They were in a cave filled with hundreds of candles. And in front of them stood a young boy. He was dressed very plainly in a suit Willow was sure she had seen in some very old history books.

The boy slowly looked at her and then Angel before speaking, “You seek answers to that which your heart already knows.”

“You’re an oracle,” Angel mumbled in amazement at the boy.  
The boy sent Angel a look that could only be described as, 'duh!'

“What can you tell us?” Willow questioned. “Is there more we don’t see?”

The boy looked at the two in front of him and simply grinned. “We have been expecting her for a long time. Her destiny is finally fulfilled."  
"But, Buffy's been a slayer for years now…" Angel replied, apparent confusion coloring his voice.  
The boy rolled his eyes at that. "Her calling is merely that which was to enable and ensure her destiny. Part of which was to have been fulfilled before now. In fact, it was. However, we were asked to intervene. We were able to take back time. But we can not take back life. So, we held that part of her destiny, until she was again able to fulfill it.”

“Can you tell us this destiny?” Willow puzzled.

"It was foretold long ago. ‘Of a souled one and a slayer, each line will begin: One of Slayer, the other, Champion. And it shall come to pass that a world of slayers will need to awaken; but, without The Lines, all slayers will pass from this world and they shall never rise again.' As it was foretold, so shall it be. She will need you all,” He said, looking at Willow. “She will need your love.” The boy was staring very hard at Angel, now, “*and* his.”

The room spun away, and Angel and Willow found themselves back in the hospital hallway. Spike had come around and was weakly attempting to crawl back to Buffy’s room. Willow took down the barrier and ran over to Spike and attempted to help him stand up. She glanced back at Angel who was now sitting in a chair and staring at the floor. Great, now she had two vampires to take care of.

Willow managed to get Spike back in the room and into a chair. She found a washcloth and filled the basin with warm water and began tending to the myriad of gashes and bruises covering Spikes face. His eyes were almost swollen shut already. He didn’t even flinch when she cleaned a particularly nasty gash on his left cheek.

“He’s right you know,” Spike had barely managed to whisper.

“No, he’s not,” Willow continued to clean his wounds. “Seems that baby of yours is going to start a whole line. Can’t very well start a whole line unless everything turns out OK, right? So see, everything will be fine. Apparently it was foretold,” Willow said in the most comforting voice she could find.

Spike looked up at her. Why did he look so pained? Her words should have cheered him up at least some.

“Which... one...?” He managed through his still swelling lips.

“Which one, what?” Racking her brain to figure out what he was referring to. The answer came from behind her.

“Baby. He means which baby,” Angel quietly stated. He was standing next to the bed with his hands in his pockets.

“I, um, what? I don’t understand Angel; what do you mean?” Willow was now considering that maybe both vamps were insane.

“Twins,” Was Angels quiet response. He was still staring very intently at Buffy. “She’s carrying twins.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Twins?” Willow had asked as if he had misspoken. Then she thought a second. “Twins.” She repeated and seemed a little pleased with the knowledge. Buffy would be happy. She had confided to Willow that she was actually beginning to like the idea of possibly having a child. She liked knowing that when her 'expiration date' arrived, as she put it, then a part of her would still be here.

“Well, now that oracle’s words make a little more sense,” Willow pointed out.

"Hmm, maybe more that we know…" Angel seemed to be lost in his usually broody contemplation.

"Huh?" That didn't make a lot of sense.

"What? Oh, nothing," He replied dismissively.

“Well, it doesn’t matter right now. We still have to get Spike back to the land of the lucid. And I’m figuring he’s not gonna heal too well if he doesn’t feed soon,” Willow said, shooting eye daggers at Angel.

“I can't do anything for him. He’s punishing himself. He has to want to stop and I don’t see that happening until she wakes up.” Angel and Willow both seemed to be pondering that statement when one of the machines monitoring Buffy alarmed for a several seconds, but then stopped its siren. Angel saw Spikes head somewhat snap up and Angel looked at Willow with concern apparent on his face.

“It does that every so often,” Willow quickly supplied, but noticed Angel didn’t relax for several seconds. That was when the alarm sounded again. This time, it kept going.

************

Buffy was sitting on a blanket on the grass in the meadow down by Creighton Park. 'It’s so beautiful here,' she thought to herself. She was watching two small children chasing each other around in circles. They were playing tag. There was a little boy with dark sandy blond hair that could almost be said the have ringlets, and a little girl with dark brown hair that flowed in graceful waves. Buffy felt so content to watch them laugh and play. Everything was so wonderful here. So peaceful. There was no pain, no monsters, no worries; just always the same beautiful children playing happily without any care. She wished she could stay here forever.

“If you stay, they will never be.”

Buffy looked up to see another small boy standing next to her. “You’re new,” She said cheerfully.

“No, I am very old,” The boy said rather sheepishly. “And it is time for you to go back.” Now he looked very serious. “If you don’t go, they will never be and your souled one will be lost.”

“But I want to watch them,” Buffy said reluctantly.

“You will. But only if you go back now. This is but a temporary sanctuary between the realms. It can not hold for long, and hence you must choose. You have been there before, and you will be again, but you must choose when… and you must make your choice now. Which journey will you make?” The boy extended his hand to Buffy. She stood and took it, casting one last glance at the two children before walking away.

************

Several nurses came rushing in the room and quickly began checking wires and grabbing equipment. Spike had somehow stood up and was backing up toward the wall shaking his head and mumbling ‘no’ over and over. Angel had grabbed Willow and pulled her out of the way of all the rushing people, to let them work. A doctor had come charging into the room and was now barking orders. A mask had been placed on her face and a nurse was squeezing it, pushing air into her lungs. Another nurse was doing chest compressions, and yet another putting medication in her IV. Angel tried to listen through all the noise, but he couldn’t hear Buffy’s heart at all and the two faint ones that had initially sped up to unbelievable speeds, were beginning to slow. 

Just as the doctor put the paddles on Buffy’s chest the room filled with a gasp and everyone stopped. It was from Buffy. Everyone in the room was holding their breath as the monitors proclaimed that there was indeed a pulse now. Then another breath. Angel could hear the faint heartbeats speeding up again. Buffy’s eyelids fluttered a bit and there was a faint groan.

The doctor had quickly run some checks and looked at the three people huddled in a corner of the room and smiled. “She’s coming out of it,” He proclaimed. “Scared us for a second there, but she’s back with us.” He had issued several more orders and it had been almost an hour but the room had finally cleared out again.  
Angel was now sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling a need to be closer to Buffy, and not particularly worried what anyone else thought about that. She was still moaning a bit and hadn’t really opened her eyes

“Angel,” Willow called. He glanced over at Willow. She looked concerned. He noted that Spike was now huddled on the floor, staring into space. Willow was shaking him, but it was pretty clear that even if the lights were on, no one was home.

“I think we lost Spike.” She motioned down at the unmoving, unspeaking vampire.  
Angel moaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “Must have been during all the commotion.”

“Spike.” The whisper was so tiny, only Angels ear had picked it up.

“Buffy?” Angel nervously glanced around again at Spike then back to Buffy and he reached a hand to push back a strand of hair in her face. “He’s here, Buffy. Willow's here too.”  
**********************

Buffy’s eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times, then she closed them again as her brow creased. “Angel?”

“Yeah,” Came the response. Someone was stroking her hair.  
“You’re in the hospital." Angel. He was close. "Do you remember what happened, Buffy?”

Buffy thought for a second. Why would she be in a hospital? Her brain tried to recall exactly what happened. Demon. There had been a demon. No, the last thing she remembered were three children in a park. Had the demon attacked the children? No, that didn’t seem right. The demon had attacked her. A Mo'rok had attacked her. Children... Baby!

“Oh god, the.....” Buffy’s eyes grew wide with terror as her hand instinctively covered her abdomen.

“They’re fine Buffy.” Angel had placed his hand over hers.

“They?” Buffy squinted at him with confusion until it registered. They, as in more than one. The children. The boy and girl she had been watching. They were hers. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she did. She smiled faintly at the memory of watching them and tears began to fill her eyes. She glanced back up at Angel and saw that he looked almost pained, even though he was still smiling at her, and she weakly threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down in an even weaker hug.  
*********************

They sat there like that for a long time. Long enough that Willow had left the room and come back. She was glad to see them, but also a little worried. What did this mean for Buffy and Spike? What were they going to do with Spike? How does one fix a catatonic vampire? She cleared her throat and Angel pulled back from Buffy.

“Giles should be here soon. Angel, maybe you and him could get Spike back to the house, or at least out of the floor maybe?” Willow asked tentatively.

“Spike is here?” Buffy asked, trying to sit up a little. “He's on the floor?”

“Um, yeah, the floor.” Willow pointed to the corner Spike was still sitting in. He still hadn’t moved at all or spoken.

“Spike?” Buffy put as much volume into her disused voices as possible as she called over to him. 

“Buffy, I don’t think he can hear you.” Angel was trying to catch her eyes.

“What do you mean he can’t hear me, he’s right there.” Buffy pointed at Spike’s form.

“There was an incident earlier. Your heart stopped. I guess Spike couldn’t handle it,” Willow offered. “ Buffy, you should have seen him; he’s been a wreck since you’ve been here.”

“I can see that. Something sure beat the heck out of him. Looks like Glory all over again,” Buffy off-handedly remarked.

Angel shifted nervously and glanced down at the floor. “Yeah, um, sorry about that.”

“YOU did that to him? Angel, you can’t keep coming here and beating up my boyfriends!” The word had seemed completely natural. Boyfriend. She had called him her boyfriend. Yeah, she had. She saw Angel's grimacing scowl and decided it best to change the subject. “So, how long have I been in here anyway?”


	9. Chapter 9

Buffy still couldn’t believe she had been in a coma for four weeks. A month. Not that it mattered anymore; she was going home today. After the last three days spent in that horrid hospital, she'd insisted, despite the angry protests of the doctors and nurses, that she was leaving. Even Angel and Giles tried to talk her into staying a little longer. But, she'd finally signed all those “against medical advice” papers and promised she would return in two days for a check up. Unfortunately she hadn’t been able to convince them to take the darn cast off her leg. She was certain it was mostly healed by now, but they hadn’t even considered it. Well, she would fix that as soon as she got home.

Giles pulled the car up in the driveway as far as possible and Angel’s car pulled in behind them. She started to fumble with the crutches the hospital had given her when they were unceremoniously snatched out of her hands. Buffy started to protest, but Angel leaned in the car and scooped her up in his arms.

“I can walk you know! They gave me those nifty crutches and everything so that I would,” Buffy said very annoyed. This babying stuff was old before she'd even been attacked.

“I know,” Angel responded dryly as he carried her through the door right behind Giles. He carried her over to the couch and set her down as the whole flock of potentials converged in the living room. Each one seemingly excited about having Buffy back, and talking over each other to ask her how she was, if she'd killed the demon, and what her coma was like. Not to mention several of them were obviously eyeing Angel in a very non-threatening way.

Buffy let out a small chuckle as Angel backed up and shook his head, looking rather frightened and annoyed at the onslaught of potentials. Giles chose that moment to try to disperse the girls, insisting that she would have time for questions later, but that right now she needed time to rest and get settled back in. Buffy was secretly grateful; she was still exhausted. How could she still be tired after sleeping for a month? Angel rearranged the pillows so she could lean back a little, as Giles shut the entry doors to the living room, giving them some semblance of privacy.

“Buffy, I know I told the girls to wait, but I think that we need to talk; and, something tells me it should be sooner rather than later,” Giles said as he sat on the end of couch.

“Um, guys, is Spike staying in Angel’s car tonight? Cause, I’m thinking the basement might be more comfortable.” Buffy said as if actually debating which would indeed be more comfortable.

“Ah, Spike. Yes, sorry, I’d forgotten. Angel, would you mind?” Giles looked at Angel who simply rolled his eyes before heading back out the door.

“Now, would you like to start or shall I?” Giles pointedly looked at her.

She really didn’t want either of them to start. She'd hoped to find some way to tell Giles about the pregnancy without him getting too angry with her and then insisting like everyone else that she had to stop slaying.

“Very well then, I think I may have a fairly good guess as to some things that may have occurred, but I really need you to tell me everything, Buffy. I can’t help you or the girls if you don’t talk to me.”

Buffy just bit her lip and watched Angel deposit Spike in one of the chairs in the living room. He still looked horrible. He wasn’t healing at all and despite her, Willow, and Angel trying he hadn’t fed, talked, or really moved. He just sat there and occasionally his eyes closed for a few hours. They had tried everything they could think of to pull him out of it.

“Do you think he’ll come back to us?” Buffy questioned Giles.

“I really don’t know. There’s no precedent for this sort of thing. I mean, there’s no shortage of vampires with sanity issues, but I’ve never heard of a captive one in his state of catatonia, and in the wild his state would be rapidly fatal. As it is, the lack of feeding won't kill him, but... the damage to his higher brain functions will be catastrophic."  
***************************  
Giles looked at Spike and couldn't suppress his flinch. Spike had looked bad before Angel's arrival, but the beating Angel had issued him was truly frightening. Particularly since no one had told him why Angel had done it in the first place.

“Buffy, you need to tell Giles. Everything.” Angel was now sitting on the coffee table and staring at Buffy pointedly.

Buffy just stared at the two of them and then turned her head defiantly to the window.

Angel let out a hiss and stood up. “Look, you wanna be stubborn and get yourself killed? Because that’s what is going to happen here! The first time you go back out patrolling alone again you *will* die!" 

"Die?" Giles asked. "Her injuries may have been grave, but given her healing abilities I find it unlikely she would succumb to them should she return to her slaying duties."  
"It's not the injuries that'll kill her," Angel supplied.  
"Then I'm afraid I don't understand. If not that, then… Buffy, is something else wrong?" He pressed, again. She continued staring out the window.  
"Will somebody please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" He hadn't had to use that tone in a long time.

"Tell him, Buffy. If you don't, then I will." More silence.  
"Buffy, if you wanna die so bad, then why the hell did you come back?” Angel said clenching his jaw tight.  
**********************

She looked at Spike, and then to Angel. He was right. She knew in her heart he was right. But what could she do? She had always had a place. She had lived her calling for years now. If that was gone, what would she do? Who would she be? 

As tears began to burst forth, she began telling Giles what happened. He patiently listened as she went from Spike’s brief humanity to the Mo'rok demon. When she finished, he sat there silent for several minutes staring at his glasses dangling in his hands. She wasn't sure what she expected him to say, but she really wished he would say something.  
**********************  
“You should have told me, Buffy.” It was all he could think of at the moment. It all made sense now. Buffy’s illness and fatigue. Spike’s over protectiveness, and his look of terror when Buffy had gone out to patrol alone. She was exceedingly lucky to be alive. 

“Who am I now? If I can’t keep slaying, what do I do. What do I become? How do I help those girls? If I can't be the slayer, then we can't win this.” She was now staring out the window again.

“Our first priority right now is your safety. You know how inherently dangerous being a slayer is; this pregnancy only increases that danger. Buffy, you should know that this is not unprecedented. There have been many instances of pregnant slayers. Unfortunately, very few of them survive very long. You may have already surpassed all but a few in your gestation, but that doesn’t mean you will survive to bring them to term.”

“I’ve defeated the odds lots of times before Giles, I can do it this time, too,” Buffy said quietly, stroking her abdomen. “Besides,” she added absently, “That boy told me I would get to see them if I came back.”

“Boy? What boy?” Giles asked.

“While I was in the coma. I saw them. He told me that if I didn’t come back then ‘they’ would never be. That I would get to see them if I came back. He also said “my souled one” needed me. He was right about that, but I don’t know what to do for him.” Buffy glanced sadly at Spike.

“Buffy, was this boy dressed funny? Kind of old fashioned?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, like, history book old fashioned. Why?” 

Angel looked at Giles. “Oracle. The boy is an Oracle. He spoke to Willow and I. Told us that Buffy and the children had been foretold.”

“Fascinating. And none of you thought this pertinent information to share with me?" He looked at both of them. Seeing their contrite expressions, he sighed and decided to move on. "What did he say exactly?” He asked, taking his glasses of again. If he polished the bloody things anymore he was going to rub a hole in them.

“He said, 'Of a souled one and a slayer, each line will begin: One of slayer, the other, champion. And it shall come to pass that a world of slayers will need to awaken; but, without The Lines, all slayers will pass from this world and they shall never rise again.' Then he told me that she would need both my love and his.” Angel spat out the ‘his’ like it had burned his tongue.

Giles pondered the statement a moment. “Have you any idea what it means?”

“No. Oracles are usually kind of cryptic, but something else he said made me think he was talking about…" Angel paused a moment, glancing around the room briefly before shaking his head slightly. "Um, Connor, I thought maybe he was talking about Connor. But… that's silly because Buffy didn't have anything to do with… that…"  
He seemed a little evasive in finishing his statement, and Giles wondered if that was truly what Angel had been about to say. He was well aware of Angel's miraculous prodigy, but given Buffy's lack of involvement in that affair, his line of thinking made no sense, so why even bring it up? 

“Yes, quite. Well, the prophecy would seem to bode well for the children.” Giles was having some hope for the first time since hearing Buffy say she was pregnant.

“Can we worry about prophecies later guys? Buffy's voice broke through his contemplation. "Giles, we have to get him back. I want to go in and get him. Like Willow did with me when Glory took Dawn.” 

“No.” Angel had flatly stated.

“That is extraordinarily dangerous to attempt on humans, much less a vampire. I’m not even sure it would be possible. And you are still very weak, Buffy,” Giles said.

“Giles, I have to try! We’ve tried everything else,” Buffy pleaded.

“Perhaps you should consider letting Willow, or even Angel, attempt the spell?”

“Yes, because we all know that Spike and Angel have a burning candle for each other that will help guide him through the darkness,” Buffy said, rolling her eyes. “No. It has to be me.”

“No,” Angel echoed his earlier comment. “Buffy, you have no idea what it’s like inside his head. There’s more than a hundred years of killing and torture. Add a soul to the mix, and the fact that he blamed himself for your assumed death... I’m not sure that even *I* would voluntarily go in there. I can’t let you do it.”

“Angel there is no ‘letting me’ do anything. You heard that oracle boy. I need him. They need him.” Buffy looked back to Giles, “Giles get Willow. I’m doing this.”

“Buffy, I do wish you would reconsider…” Giles started.

“Giles! I’m doing this! With or without you!” Buffy had that very determined look on her face. “So either help me, or get out of the way; because one way or another, I’m going to bring him back.”


	10. Chapter 10

Willow had set up everything for the spell. They had rearranged the living room so that Spike was sitting opposite Buffy with Angel sitting next to her. Angel had that angry look on his face and Willow was certain he was going to put a damper on the whole spell. He'd demanded that Buffy was not to go into Spike’s mind alone; he would be there at all times to serve as a safety line. Buffy had grudgingly agreed. Willow had instructed them that they must keep “contact” at all times or one of them could be pulled out without the other. Angel had pulled Willow aside and made her promise that if he signaled she would pull them out. She had also grudgingly agreed. And now, it was time to get a hyperactive slayer and a grumpy jealous vampire to meditate and focus. Fun for everyone!  
*********************

They had been in the mediation for about an hour before anything happened; but Buffy now found herself and Angel in a dark void.  
“Always knew Spike's head was empty.”

She gave Angel her best annoyed look. “We have to find him,”  
Suddenly they found themselves in a room full of people… men, women, and children, hundreds of them, all looking decidedly dead to Buffy. Some mangled, some simply bleeding from their necks or arms, some standing in pools of blood, others with heads held at odd angles, some missing heads or limbs entirely, and all of them were staring at her, holding their arms up like they were greeting her with their best 'welcome home' hug.

Angel pulled on her hand, pushing through the masses as they continued to stare at her and offer their creepy hugs. They walked on for what seemed like days. Suddenly everyone started shouting at her. High pitched horrible screams that burned in Buffy’s head like a hot poker. Buffy tried to cover her ears, but Angel held firm to one of her hands and continued pulling her forward.

Then suddenly they were in an alley. Buffy recognized it. It was the one behind the Bronze. And there was Spike. Buffy started to run to him, but Angel held her away. That was when she saw herself standing in the alley facing Spike. She remembered this scene. It was the very first time she had met him. 

“What happens Saturday?” Her other self asked him. 

“That’s when I kill you,” Spike answered with a smile.

Then as quickly as the scene had come, it was gone; and now they were in the old high school. Spike was taunting her to come out. That he would make it quick. Buffy could have sworn she saw Spike looking at her, his face seeming to regard her a moment. Then he was gone. They seemed to be going through every single time Spike had tried to kill her. Angel’s grip was getting tighter and tighter at each memory they came to.

Now they were up on Glory’s tower. Dawn was standing directly in front of them and they were all looking at Spike. He was being held tight by that strange little man who had cut Dawn, and the man had a knife embedded deeply into Spike's side. The old man asked why Spike even cared since he had no soul. Spike stared straight into her eyes, and his response nearly broke her heart. Then the little man threw them him off the tower.

“Spike!” Buffy had yelled and started to lunge, but suddenly they were on the ground. Spike was rousing and turned to look up and started shouting. One long gut-wrenching, screaming, pleading, word at unbelievable decibels: "No." Buffy follow her eyes to see herself in the portal. With sick fascination she watched her other self convulse until she finally ceased moving. As her lifeless body fell to the ground, she felt Angel stepping backward. Buffy looked at him and saw the tears streaming down his face. 

She glanced around to see Giles walking toward her other body, Willow was holding up Tara, Xander was carrying Anya, and Dawn was coming down the stairs, and all of them were staring at her broken body on the ground. Then she saw Spike. He'd moved closer at some point, but was now collapsed on the ground, great wracking sobs shaking his body as he covered his face with his hands.

“Oh god,” Buffy whispered to no one, watching the vampire in front of her pouring rivers of his non-existent soul into his hands. “I didn't believe it. Wouldn’t believe... But… it was true. He loved me.”

Buffy had blocked out the next scene from her mind, so it almost shocked her when it came. The bathroom, they were in the hall bathroom. She watched as that fated night played out again. She heard an angry growl from Angel as he stepped forward, but Buffy held firm to his hand. He turned and stared at her in disbelief. His eyes went wide with realization at Buffy’s soft expression.

“You forgave him? You want him back after he...” Angel couldn’t even bring himself to say the word.

“Angel, *you* of all people can ask me how I forgave him?” Buffy softly chided.

Angel looked up into the darkness above for several moments. “Point taken,” He mumbled. “But I can’t watch this,” he added turning to gaze behind Buffy. She saw the pain in his face as the sounds from the scene continued. She started to say something but the scene changed again.

They were in her bedroom now, and Buffy blushed at the sight before her as Angel quickly hissed in a breath and once again glanced away. It was her and Spike. Their bodies moving together in ancient rhythm; their mouths tenderly mimicking the movements of their bodies as unmistakable sounds spilled from them, getting louder and more urgent until her other self arched up, a silent scream frozen on her face for long seconds before she sank back into the bed. Spike's own movements becoming urgent and irregular and he suddenly froze, a deep growl emitting from his throat. This must be from her birthday. It was the only time they had ever been in her bedroom. But the tender scene in front of her didn’t make any sense. It didn’t fit with the other things she had seen in Spikes mind so far.

“I don’t understand, why this?” Buffy asked aloud.

“This is when he killed you,” Angel said, looking into Buffy’s eyes. His other hand came up to gently rest on her abdomen. Buffy immediately understood. And then they were back in the room filled with people screaming while they tried to hug her. Buffy waited patiently as the scenes all flew past her again and again. Buffy started trying to talk to Spike each time she saw him in the scenes, but he never responded.

“This isn’t going to work. We need to go. The longer we stay here, the harder it will be to get out.”

“No,” Buffy answered firmly. “I’m not giving up on him.” She looked up at the darkness above them. “Spike! Spike, I know you can hear me. Damn it face me. If you killed me then come face me you spineless, peroxided, coward!” Buffy shouted. 

Suddenly they were back in the dark void. She and Angel stood there for a few moments and then Spike was there in front of them.

“I’m sorry Slayer,” Spike quietly spoke. “Can't ever seem to do anything right. Only wanted to love you, but all I ever managed was to hurt you. I know you can’t forgive me, not that it matters now, but I am sorry,” His voice trailed off as he turned around and started to walk away.

“Spike, don’t. You didn’t kill me. Spike I’m alive,” Buffy pleaded that he would hear her and turn around.

He stopped. After a moment he turned around and looked hard at her. Then he looked at Angel with a puzzled expression, as if he was just now noticing him, before looking down at the non-existent ground. After a long time of staring down, he looked back up at Buffy and gave her his sad little smile.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Pet.” He looked over at Angel. “Take her back. Take care of her. All I can do is hurt her,” He said.

Angel stared at Spike and then gave a slight nod. Buffy saw it.

“No! I’m not going unless you come with me!” Buffy pleaded with Spike.

“Angel, get her out of here. Now!” Spike bit out. And Buffy felt Angel begin to pull her hand and step backward.  
"Willow…" 

"NO! WAIT!" Buffy turned and faced Angel. “Wait, please,” She begged. She reached her free hand up and stroked Angel’s face.

“I will always love you,” Buffy smiled at Angel. “I’m sorry,” Buffy said, and then she let go of his hand.  
********************

Angel sank back into the couch for a second as he realized what had happened.

“Send me back in!” Angel shouted at Willow.

Willow sat there in shock. Buffy had let go. She stared at Angel and shook her head. “I can’t.” Tears were clouding her eyes. “If I interrupt the link to put you back in…”

********************

“Do you know what you just did?” He stared at her, incredulous that she had let go. “He was your best way out of this world.”

Buffy walked up to him and looked in his eyes. She smiled.

“I don’t want to leave. I want to be with you,” She said.

Spike just stared at her in shock for a minute. “You *don’t* want to be in here with me. Haven’t even seen most of this place. Not a pretty picture. Don’t want you lost in here with me,” Spike said reaching up and cupping her cheek with his hand.

“Then come back with me. You promised me once you wouldn’t leave me. Well, I won’t leave you, either. The only way I am getting out of this place... is if you come with me.” Buffy returned his gesture and cupped his cheek.

“Buffy...” Spike started to protest.

“No. I will be with you forever, where ever you are. If you stay here, so will I. I won’t go Spike. I love you,” Buffy said firmly. "Till the end of the world."  
And suddenly nothing else in the whole world mattered.

“Forever’s a long time, Pet,” Spike said as a wayward tear began to fill his eye.

“Then I’m glad I’ll be with you,” Buffy smiled.

Spike leaned his head into her hand and stared at her with every bit of love he had for her in his undead heart. She loved him. She… Loved… Him… He let his hand slide down to hers and took it in his own.

“Let’s get you back love,” he said as he led her through the darkness.  
Suddenly Spike found they were in a park. It was day. Everything was bright and colorful. They were standing there in the sun, and he wasn't burning. There were two children running through the park, laughing and shouting. A little dark haired girl and a little boy with much lighter hair.

“I don’t understand,” Spike said looking around. He didn’t remember any of this. Whose memory was this? Were they lost?

“I wanted to show you. That’s them Spike,” Buffy beamed. “That’s our children. I wanted you to see them,” Spike stared at the children and it almost made his metaphorical legs give way. But he pulled himself up straighter and turned to the beautiful creature that was giving him these gifts.

“I will, love,” He said as he leaned down and gently brushed Buffy’s lips with his own. A bright flash of white filled the world around them.

****************

Buffy looked around to find herself back in her living room. Angel was sitting next to her with his head in his hands. Willow was watching her and nodded her head towards Spike, and she quickly looked at him. He was staring at her. That same look of love and awe that she had seen moments before on his face. Buffy launched herself off the couch and into his arms.

She spared a quick glance to Angel and saw his head come up, the marks of his tears evident on his face. She quietly mouthed a thank you to him before he got up and left the room, hands roughly rubbing his face.  
********************

Angel leaned on the counter. He thought his heart was going to break all over again. He reminded himself that the oracle had said she would need his love. He quickly swiped at his face again to dry it. Then he pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed a blood bag. He heated a cup of water in the microwave and then the blood as the tea infused in the cup. He carried both cups into the living room. The sight that greeted him froze him to his spot for a moment.

Buffy was still on Spikes lap and both were sleeping. Their arms protectively curled around each other. Angel quietly set down the mugs and carefully untwined the sleeping lover's arms. He gingerly picked up Buffy and set her back on the couch and covered her. She snuggled a bit into the blanket as he did so. He turned back to Spike and shook him lightly. Spike's eyes opened to see Angel with his finger held to his lips. Spike glanced at the sleeping Buffy and nodded that he understood. Angel handed him a mug of blood. Spike looked at it and realized it had been weeks since he had fed last, months if he were honest. He spared a quick glance back at Buffy then tipped up the mug and emptied it.


	11. Chapter 11

Spike glanced around the room. It was almost done now. Given the frequency Buffy's house was getting trashed lately, some areas had repaired repairs of repaired repairs, he'd convinced Angel to let everyone move into the old Crawford street mansion. It was amazing how much of a difference a little decorating did in making it look less like a doom and gloom dungeon, and more like a spacious home with a bit of Mayan temple character. The space was definitely more suited to housing a gaggle of mini-slayers, a witch, an ex-demon, a watcher, and two poncy whelps. 

“And a partridge in a pear tree.” Spike added out loud. Of coarse the place had needed extensive work to make it suitable for humans. Spike had spent most of his available time working on fixing it. Xander was even helping him with the work. Of course, Spike hadn’t trusted the whelp with anything wooden for a while, especially after he had found out about Spike and Buffy’s little secret. He'd spent the better part of a month avoiding the boy’s stakes, while Buffy laughed it up.

Spike smiled to himself. She was so beautiful when she laughed. A few more days and the whole thing would be ready. Good thing too since Buffy was due in a few weeks. His thoughts were interrupted when his pocket started ringing. Spike pulled out the screeching piece of technology and stared at it a moment before remembering which button to push. He swore under his breath as he answered it. “Yeah.”

“Spike, you’d better get home.” It was Dawn, and she sounded annoyed and angry. “Oh, and I’d bring ice cream if I were you.”

“On my way Bit,” Spike answered, then turned off the phone. Then he turned it back on and put it on standby. If he lived another hundred years he was sure these blasted cell phones would be his downfall. Willow had insisted he carry it in case Buffy needed him. He’d thought at the time that the idea sounded good. Less so lately, considering it was never Buffy that was calling him.

He locked the door and headed for the car. There was a Quick Mart on the way home. They knew him well there, and the little demon fellow who owned it kept a carton of Phish Food held back for him for just such an emergency.

As Spike walked in the door at home, Dawn came running into the entryway, quickly followed by several of the junior slayers, and the watcher ambled in from the dining room. Spike saw their expressions and looked down at the floor to hide his grin. She must have really done it this time.

“What happened this time?” He asked, as he tossed his keys on the little table by the door.

“The TV, Spike,” Dawn proclaimed as she crossed her arms. “She trashed the TV. And that was *after* she screamed at half the girls, punched Andrew, and threw a book at Giles. They were lucky to get out before she pulled their heads off. You have *got* to do something Spike.”

Spike couldn’t help it when his grin only widened as he glanced around into the living room and saw that it was indeed trashed. Two of the girls were sitting on the couch holding sporting ice packs, and he guessed that some of them had been quicker to scramble than others. He had actually let out a little laugh before Dawn had smacked his arm.

“All right Bit, sorry. Sorry ladies. I’ll go talk to her.” Spike brought his hand up to his face and rubbed it, steeling himself for the task at hand. Buffy had grown more and more emotional as the pregnancy progressed. If she wasn’t crying, she was screaming. If she wasn’t screaming or crying, she was dragging him off to the bedroom for some solid shagging.

“Right, off to the gallows then,” Spike said as he started toward the stairs. He turned to face Dawn, “Want to tell me what set her off this time, Bit?” Spike asked.

“Beer commercial,” Dawn shrugged.

“Beer commercial?” Spike echoed, frowning. “How did that....?”

“You know, the one with the girl’s mom that has the humongous butt and hips and is running around wearing really tight red leather pants?” Dawn clarified. "Some of them thought it was both horrifying and funny. Buffy, on the other hand…"

“Bloody hell...” Spike muttered as he started back up the stairs. Dawn called after him and held up a spoon to him. He glanced at the ice cream in his hand and took the spoon. He wasn’t sure even Ben & Jerry would work this time.

**************

Spike stopped in front of the bedroom. He could hear her inside, and she was crying. He clenched his jaw and stretched himself up his full height, then knocked on the door. 

“Buffy,” He softly called.

“GO AWAY SPIKE!” Buffy screamed out. He took a deep breath and tried again.

“Buffy, sweetheart, I have ‘Phish Food’,” Spike cooed sweetly through the door. God I’ve turned into a poof, Spike thought to himself. No sound came from the room. Well, at least she wasn’t crying anymore.  
“Buffy, love,” He started again. 

Suddenly the door flew open and Buffy’s hands shot out, grabbing the ice cream and spoon in the blink of an eye, and then slamming the door shut again before Spike could even react.

Spike rolled his eyes and slowly pushed open the door. At least she hadn’t locked it back when she’d slammed it. He cautiously stepped through the door, prepared to evade flying objects or stakes, and took in the sight before him. Buffy was sitting on the bed cross-legged with one hand on her large beautiful abdomen. The ice cream was sitting on the bed in front of her, untouched, and she was starting to cry again. Her favorite red leather pants were in cut up shreds all over the room, as were several of her other more alluring clothes. 

Spike closed and locked the door and crossed the room. He sat on the bed next to Buffy and tentatively pulled her into an embrace, tucking her head under his chin. She was wailing loudly now, and Spike was rubbing his hands up and down her back and rocking her slowly back and forth.

“Sssshhh. It’s ok, pet," Spike tried to reassure her. "Can't say the same for your wardrobe, though. Down right tragic fate it suffered." He felt her tense and leaned back to look at her better. He brought her chin up to look at him. “What is it Pet?” Spike said, his brow creased with concern. Her saw her chin tremble and he tucked her head back under.

“I feel (sniffle) just (sniffle) awful, Spike (sniffle, sniffle),” Buffy managed to get out. “I didn’t mean to (sniffle) hurt them. (sniffle) They hate me. (sob) I’m as big as a house, (sob) and they hate me.”

Spike was fairly certain he was going to have to wring out his shirt if she didn’t stop soon.

“Hey now. You and I both know you aren’t as big as a house. The doctor even said you could stand to put on a little more, remember?” Spike said, still rocking her. She nodded her head a little and wasn’t crying as hard now. “You’ve only a few weeks left, and then you won’t get any chance at that ice cream, what with the ankle biters and all, so you’d better get it now.” Spike said as he took off the lid of the carton and scooped up a bit of the not so frozen stuff. He waved it in front of Buffy a bit and he felt her wavering, but after a moment she shook her head. 

“Your loss, love” Spike said as he turned the spoon over and licked it. He felt Buffy tense again. Not the same way this time, though. A few seconds later, he smiled. This was officially his favorite part of this whole pregnancy bit. 

Buffy reached up and wrapped her hand around the spoon and brought it to her mouth. She started licking it, cleaning every last bit of ice cream off of it. Spike felt himself instantly responding to the sight. Buffy pulled the spoon free and tossed it over her shoulder, then pushed Spike back onto the bed and placed a hungry kiss on his mouth. Spike reached to set the Ben & Jerry’s on the night stand, but he was completely caught up in the kiss and missed the night stand entirely. The half melted concoction hit the floor with a dull thud and splattered everywhere. Spike and Buffy both went into fits of laughter at the sight of each other covered in melted ice cream.

He slowly leaned up and delicately licked a dab of ice cream off of Buffy’s cheek. She moaned her appreciation and returned the favor to his neck. Spike closed his eyes and rocked his hips against Buffy who was now straddling him. Her hands were roaming his chest and found their way under his shirt. She scratched his ribs lightly, causing a small hiss to escape his lips. 

He brought his own hands up under her loose shirt and found her now luxuriously full breasts. One soft touch and Buffy was shaking already. They quickly stripped each other, clothes suffering a few small rips in the process. Buffy was back to straddling him and the heat from her was practically searing his skin. 

Buffy rocked her hips against him, increasing the delicious friction between them. He reached down between them, and slowly ran a finger between her lips, circling first her opening and then her clit. He gave it a teasing couple of flicks, eliciting an almost violent shudder each time, then returned to her opening to plunge an easy finger inside. She tore her mouth away from his, gasping in pleasure as he added a second finger and stroked her inner walls. She ground her hips against his fingers, and he added a third finger pumping in and out of her, grinning at the vigor and abandon with which she moved. Satisfied she was more than ready for him, he removed his fingers from her, and positioned himself against her opening. She froze for moment, and met his eyes full force. With practiced slowness she took him in, inch by agonizingly delicious inch. Both moaned in response once she has sunk all the way to the base of his cock. 

Spike always felt like he was going to explode right at this moment, and now was no different. He grabbed her hips and held her still as he tried to regain control of himself, or else he was going to end up flipping her onto her hands and knees and go at it like bloody weasels in heat.

*******************

Buffy waited. She knew what he was doing and was glad. She had been about ready to explode herself at that moment. When she felt like Spike had regained his control, she started moving. Slow rhythmic circles at first. Spike then started working in the reverse of her movements. Buffy leaned forward a little letting the friction tease her throbbing clit. As their pace and force increased, she felt herself rapidly nearing her peak and increased the rhythm even more. She After several minutes, Spike’s fingers began to dig into her hips and their pace became frenzied. Buffy leaned back at an angle, propping her hands behind her and then brought her feet up to Spike's sides and planted them firmly on the bed, giving her better leverage for more movement. The change in angle caused the end of his cock to slam straight into just the right spot inside, sending a spectacular jolt of electrical pleasure shooting through her body with every thrust.

Spike leaned up and took one of her breasts in his mouth. He teased one of the overly sensitive tips with his tongue, and gave it tiny little nips that caused to more delicious little jolts. His hand slid back in between them and his practiced fingers quickly found her clit, teasing and tweeking it until Buffy shuddered as her climax hit her. Her inner muscles clenched around him and thoroughly milked him. She couldn't hold herself up anymore as her arms gave way, but Spikes arms folded around her, holding her steady as she continued to shudder. He only needed a few more vigorous thrusts timed with her pulses, and he pulled her in tight, pushing as deep as he could as his own orgasm claimed him.  
Spike pulled them back again and rolled them to the side. Buffy snuggled into his arms, still breathing a little heavily, but loving the sated feeling. As she started to relax, he pulled the sheet up over them. Soon her breathing become deep and rhythmic and she knew that in moments she would be asleep. He was gently smoothing her hair, now, lulling her even further into sleep. After some early sleepless nights, she had discovered that Spike was quite adept at finding the right sequence that absolutely never failed to ensure she fell into a long and boneless sleep. She smiled to herself thinking that in a few weeks, they wouldn’t be getting any sleep at all.


	12. Chapter 12

Buffy woke after what felt like a very short time compared to how long she would usually sleep after Spike worked his magic. She felt really uncomfortable, but that wasn't anything new. Unfortunately, she also couldn’t seem to get back to sleep. A shower would probably help, and with all the girls living in the house, early morning was the only time she was going to get any hot water. She slowly scooted to the edge of the bed, deciding that a shower sounded like an amazing idea. Spike mumbled something unintelligible and pulled her back against him, but she pried his arm from around her waist and slipped out of the bed.

“Just taking a shower,” she whispered. She padded as quietly as possible to the bathroom and slipped into the shower, letting the steaming hot water run over her. She stood there like that forever, just letting the water wash away all her tension and cares. When she felt the water growing cold she turned it off and stepped out. She quickly dried off and made her way back to the room. She found one of her nightshirts, and slipped it on before sliding back to bed, falling back asleep in no time.

An hour later, she was awake again, once again uncomfortable. Spike was sleeping spooned up behind her with his hand splayed across her chest. She let out a little moan. God, nothing could heat her up like his hands on her breasts, unless it was his mouth there instead. Buffy grinned at the thought. Her breasts had become so sensitive that even the rub of her shirt could set her off. She felt Spike shift behind her, and his hand brushed the tip of one nipple. That was all it took. She reached one hand behind her and gently glided it down to rub his soft curls, and then she started stroking his shaft.

“Back for more Pet?” Spike asked sleepily.

Her reply was a gentle squeeze as she flicked her thumb across his tip. Spike returned the favor and gave her nipple a slight squeeze and flicked the pert little tip. Buffy gasped as her body gave a slight tremble at the feeling. Spike started planting little kisses along her shoulder and grazed the prominence with his teeth. 

She moaned and rocked her hips backwards. Spike's hand traveled down her side, gently rubbing small circles along her ribs, her waist, her hips, and then pulled her thigh up and over his leg as he thrust his hips forward. She was already wet and ready and he easily slipped inside. He felt so good. So warm. The sudden feeling of him filling her completely gave her a momentary rush of complete ecstasy.  
********************

Spike began pushing back and forth and Buffy ground her hips back into his. He slid his hand around to her front and gave a few wide circles over her swollen abdomen before running it down to find her clitoris. He ran one finger gently around the swollen and sensitive nub, but never touched it. 

Buffy moaned in protest as she sought out the desired touch, rocking back to his hips and forward to his hand, seeking to end her torture. He finally answered her silent plea and began to gently rub the sensitive spot. Alternately circling and flicking it until Buffy was wildly bucking back and forth and emitting a staccato scream with the thrusting.

“That’s it Pet, a little more. Let it go, slayer. You know you want to,” Spike whispered into her ear as he felt her approach her climax. He gave her clit a little pinch between his fingers and sent her tumbling over the edge. She screamed out as her body began to shudder almost violently. Spike felt a wave of satisfaction at her pleasure as her inner muscles tightly gripped him. He continued to slowly thrust in and out as Buffy’s body slowly stopped its trembling and Spike felt her relaxing more and more. He held her tightly and continued to rock slowly until he was sure she had drifted off to sleep, and then he let his own sleep come to him.

**********

Spike had slipped out before sunrise again. This was getting old. No one would tell her where he was going and he would only tell her it was a surprise for her. Not even Xander would rat him out. She couldn’t even follow him out. Spike had the whole house keeping tabs on her and she knew it would be too dangerous anyway. She could barely make it down the stairs without help, much less slay anything.

At least she could move around outside a little during the day. The demons had quit testing the barrier Willow had erected and they now pretty much stayed away. In fact, they didn’t even bother with the barrier anymore as long as Willow was home. Buffy had been working back at the school, but they had insisted she start her maternity leave this week , so she had begrudgingly done so. Still, she was glad she didn’t have to work today. She hadn’t slept well last night and couldn’t seem to find the right position on the couch today.

Around lunch time she began feeling really uncomfortable. Her abdomen would get really tight. False pains again, Buffy thought to herself. The first time it happened, Spike had almost come unglued. Buffy giggled to herself at the memory. Twice since that time, they had gotten like this. They would pass. She had a few more weeks left. She smiled as one of the babies squirmed and kicked her lower ribs. “No more room left, little one,” Buffy mused and rubbed her hand in circles on her stomach. That always seemed to help. Of course Spike was usually the one doing it.

**********

Spike stood and addressed the gathered group. Giles, Angel, and Wesley all sat facing him. He had shown them around the mansion and they had all been impressed with the work he had done.

“This is all great Spike, but why did Wes and I have to come up now?” Angel asked. “Buffy’s due in a few weeks and I planning to be back then.”

“Because,” Spike paused for suspense, “I have an idea.” Again he paused to make sure everyone was listening to him. “I want to start an academy. Watchers and Slayers. Make them the way they should be.” 

Everyone seemed shocked for a moment, and then they glanced around at each other before turning back to stare at Spike.

“Seems to me, we have a bunch of slayers with no watchers. Percy and Jenkins here, are about the only ones left, yeah? We can split the groups between here and Peaches’ place. There’s enough in both places to teach them different things. A few years here, a few years there. Both places will have a slayer, a watcher, and a vampire.” Spike glanced at everyone. At least they weren’t shooting him down yet.

“Forehead could continue his little hobby down in LA. Give them all a bit more of the investigative stuff. Slayer and I can do more of the fighting stuff. I’m sure the council still has its likely sizable assets. Some planning, and we can build on them and everyone gets a little kick back. Buffy can focus on slayer stuff and we can watch out for the twins.” Ok, now it was their turn.

“Spike, I must say you sound like you’ve thought this out a good bit,” Giles commented. Angel and Wesley nodded in agreement. 

After a little more discussion, they had concluded the plan was not only workable, but was even desirable. Spike gave himself a satisfied smile. Now, he just had to bring Buffy in on it. She still didn’t even know that he had fixed up the mansion for them all. Spike’s pocket began ringing again. “Bloody...”

“Hello?...Buffy?...Yes Pet, I’ll stop and get some on the way home,” Spike noticed everyone was grinning at each other knowingly. “Don’t you think Bit could get it quicker?” Spike paused and his face grew hard. “Red?” Spike clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. “No!" He barked out. "Slayer, listen to me. You sit tight and do not, DO NOT, go outside that house. Be there in a minute.” Spike hung up the phone.

“Spike what’s wrong?” Giles asked with concern as Spike started toward the door.

“She’s at home. Alone. As in no one there but her,” Spike quickly clarified.

**********

You picked a hell of a day to send everyone off, Buffy thought to herself. She had managed to send half the girls to the movies with Willow and convinced Xander to take the others to patrol and that she would send Willow and the others to find them when they all got home. When they tried to protest she’d exploded until everyone had scattered to the winds and Buffy finally had the house to herself. Finally, a little piece and quiet!

Problem was, Buffy was fairly certain that her pains were not only regular, but they were not going to go away. In fact, they were strong enough now to make her have to stop everything and wait for it to pass. Well, they still had some time. Spike would be home soon and he had said that he would bring ice cream. 

Right after he told you to stay put like some child, a little voice in Buffy’s head said. Well, she wasn’t a child and she would do what she felt like. OK, she wouldn’t go for a walk, but she could sit on the porch. He would be hopping mad when he got home and she could care less, she told herself.

She had just opened the door and stepped out on the porch when she felt her head explode and saw stars. The last thing she remembered seeing was the porch light.


	13. Chapter 13

Spike wheeled his car up the driveway and was out of the car and up on the porch before the others had even pulled up in the Angelmobile. This wasn’t right. The front door was standing wide open. As the others got out of the car they noticed Spike sitting on his heels in front of the open door. Angel stopped dead in his tracks half way to the door, causing Wesley to nearly run into him. 

“Angel, what’s wrong?” Wes asked.

“Blood,” Angel replied. “Buffy’s.”

A loud snarling growl came from Spike and he jumped up in full game face and walked down the sidewalk, his nose smelling the air. He started barking orders at everyone. “I’m going after them. Angel, I know you can track her as well as I can, and I’ll need help with her. Giles, find the girls and make sure they are OK, then get them home. And find Red, we may need a locator spell. Wes, you’re with us. I may need you to get Buffy out while Angel and I have a go with these guys.”

Everyone looked at each other and then began doing as they were told. Spike and Angel took the lead with Wes trailing behind. Giles took Angel’s car and sped off down the road. Spike and Angel were moving at a fevered pace and Wes was doing his best just to keep up.  
Caves. Why did they always have to end up at these caves? Spike decided he should bloody well bomb them and then they wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore. Bloody shame the things didn't cave in with the high school. He silently cursed to himself as he thought how extensive and winding these caves were. It could take them all night to get the right tunnel and that could be too late. He pushed himself on with renewed urgency.

They had just entered the cave when Wesley came running up. He stopped behind them and bent over placing his hands on his knees and gasping in huge breaths. Spike quickly eyed him, “You ok, mate?” He asked. Wes just nodded his head and they started into the caves. 

Spike didn’t like this. These blokes were clever buggers. They had gone down two tunnels with Buffy’s scent only to find a shoe in one and her headband in the other. He felt like he was running out of time. It had been over two hours since he had talked to Buffy and the headband they found had a large blood stain on it. They had come to a divergence in the tunnel again and Buffy’s scent seemed to be coming from all three directions. He started down one, but Angel grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Smell that?” Angel lifted his head a little and stood there.

“Yeah. Buffy’s scent, it’s everywhere.” Spike said, sounding dangerously frazzled.

“No, well yeah, but something else. Different. I’ve smelled it before, if I could just place it.” Angel put a hand up to silence Spike before he could protest about Angel needing to brood just then.

“Darla. That’s it. Last time I smelled it was when Connor was born. After Darla’s water....”

“Broke?” Wesley finished.

“No, oh no, no. God no. They can’t have...” Spike was sputtering out with a very terrified look on his face.

“Angel, can you track it?” Wesley asked.

Angel nodded his head and paused looking down each tunnel before starting down the one to the far right.

************

This vamp is *so* going to die, Buffy thought to herself. The vampire in front of her seemed to be enjoying the show. While his fledglings were arguing over the unconscious guy in shackles across from her. he was sitting in a chair in front of her watching her like some movie of the week. She felt another pain and had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. They were close now. Very, very, close now. She was practically panting between them, and her water had broken an hour ago. 

The fact that she was having to do all this standing up, with her wrists chained to the ceiling wasn't helping anything, either. Her arms tickled where the blood was running down from her trying to free herself from her shackles. She internally grinned as she noted that she almost had one of them worked loose. A few more distractions from the brain squad across the way and she would have one hand free. Buffy felt another pain and a small moan escaped before she caught it.

“Tisk, tisk, slayer. I would have thought a girl like you could control her pain." The vampire teased in a very thick accent she couldn't quite place. Eastern European, maybe? "After all, you did defeat the army of the First, despite your condition. Heard you even took a sword in the gut. Must have sent your lapdog out of his mind." He chuckled. "How did you do win that battle, anyway?"  
"Didn't. 'Lapdog' killed them all and buried the hellmouth in that crater before I pulled him out."  
"Really? I heard it was tacky jewelry that did it?" He smirked.  
"All because of Spike's…" She cut off with a gasp and shout as another contraction hit her full force.  
"You know, I heard that strange breathing thing helps,” The vampire quipped. “I am so going to enjoy this. Those little ones will be so sweet and delectable. Of coarse, I’m not sure how much room I’ll have after I drain you. But I’ll manage. I just hope this show gets on the road before your lapdog gets here.” He stuck his lip out in a mock pout. Buffy let out another scream and he smiled his appreciation. “Now, that’s more like it.”  
**************************

Spike heard the first scream and had taken off running. He heard the vampire’s last comments as he rounded a corner. He knew that voice. And the owner would be out for blood. They had to act fast, or Buffy would be the one to pay for his past.

“Too late Premysl,” Spike said as he sauntered in, hands in his pockets. “Lapdog is here.”

“Well, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come Spike,” The vampire said moving around to stand behind Buffy. “Glad you could join us. Now you can watch me finish off the slayer here,” He said and nodded to his fledglings.

“Don’t think so boys,” Angel said, strolling in from the opening Spike had come through moments before. He stopped between Spike and the fledglings and crossed his arms, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face. The fledglings wisely gave pause at the unspoken challenges flying around the cavern and backed up to their previous positions.  
**********************

Premysl sputtered some meaningless sounds as he glanced back and forth between Spike and Angelus. He hadn’t planned on facing Angelus, but he decided to play this out as far as he could. He still had the slayer after all, he could still have his vengeance. 

“Doesn’t matter if Angelus is here, Spike. I’ll kill her before you can cross the room. A little payback for feeding me to that mob in Prague. Imagine my surprise when I found out you aren't even with your precious Drusilla anymore. Although I have to say, trading Drusilla in for a slayer? You do like to live dangerously, my friend.” He placed himself behind Buffy’s shackled body and grinned broadly as he shifted to game face. He yanked Buffy’s head to the side with one hand, as his other roughly groped Buffy's pregnant belly. He sank his fangs deeply into her neck, staring at Spike the whole time and expecting the vampire to charge at him. So it was a little confusing to see Spike grinning at him. He had barely taken a second mouthfull when he felt the stake pierce his back. 

“How the hell....” he managed before bursting into dust.


	14. Chapter 14

Buffy bit out another scream and her face scrunched up as the pain hit her and she tried to double over. She managed to pull her hand free in doing so. She tried to free the other hand from its shackle, but couldn’t get it. She felt someone trying to hold her up and she could hear lots of commotion going on around her. The pain finally subsided and Buffy looked up to see Angel dispatch the last fledgling. Spike was pulling on the chain hooked to her remaining shackle. She looked over to see that it was Wesley who was supporting her.

“Buffy, how close are the contractions?” Wesley asked while Spike continue to try to break the chain, and then Angel was suddenly there helping him.

“Too close,” Buffy bit out as yet another one began. The chain finally gave and Buffy started to sink down to the floor, but Spike swept her up in his arms. The sudden movement made her grab his shirt and very nearly rip it from him as she yelled for him to stop.

“Slayer, we need to get you to the hospital,” Spike said firmly and started back toward the entrance.

“No…time…” Buffy managed to say scrunching her face again.  
************************

Spike felt her whole body tense up and she had started making a humming noise. Almost like Dru when the visions came, Spike thought to himself. He silently implored Angel and Wes to help him but both were simply staring at each other.

“Buffy, what are you...?” His eyes widened in realization, “You… you… you’re pushing! No, not here. You can’t push here,” Spike told Buffy, as if she had control over it.

“Tell...them...that,” Buffy panted out.

Wesley quickly took charge of the situation.

“Angel, give me your jacket. I’ll need your shirt as well,” Wesley took off the jacket he’d been wearing and spread it out on the ground next to one wall then put his own shirt over it. “Spike put her down here,” Wesley indicated to the shirt. Spike looked a Wesley as if he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “Spike! I said put her here.” 

Spike looked at Wesley another moment before he nodded and set Buffy gently down. Wesley waited until her face relaxed again and then he looked her in the eyes. “Buffy, I’m going to have to look,” Buffy didn’t hesitate a second before nodding her consent.

“Over my dead...” Spike shouted in protest.

“Spike!” Wesley cut him off, “Like it or not, Buffy is going to deliver the first child here. We don’t have time for arguments. I can’t help her without looking. Perhaps you would like to deliver her yourself?” Spike vigorously shook his head. “No? I thought not. Then let me do this. With any luck we can get her to the hospital before the other one delivers,” Wesley said as he draped Angel’s coat across Buffy’s knees. Wes quickly gave Angel a few instructions, as another contraction hit Buffy and she started humming again, and he quickly made the necessary inspection.

“Oh dear,” Wesley stated glancing back up at Buffy. “Buffy, I need you to focus. I assume Rupert has been working with you on some techniques?” Buffy nodded her head. “Good. I need you to breathe now. You’re much too strong Buffy, and we can’t control this if you completely push. Spike, you need to get her to focus,” Spike nodded. He took Buffy’s face in his hands, turned her face to his, and looked her straight in the eyes.  
***********************

“Ok love, you can do this. Remember what the watcher taught you?" Buffy nodded. "You have to do it now, love,” Spike said in his most soothing voice. He started talking her through each contraction. Soon he found he had Buffy focusing on his voice. Spike had never used the little trick he’d picked up from Drusilla, but right now he was mentally thanking her. “That’s my girl, Buffy. Just keep listening to me. Wes, what do we need to do?” Spike asked without breaking eye contact with Buffy.

“I need small pushes. Nothing big,” Wesley instructed.

“All right then, this is it, love. Little pushes. Just like he said,” Spike told her. Buffy nodded her head and complied. In a matter of moments it was all over.

“It’s a girl,” Wesley announced. He quickly cleaned and wrapped her and she started crying.

Spike broke eye contact and turned his head toward the wondrous sound of the baby girl. Tears clouded his vision and soon started streaming down his face as he gazed in awe at her. So tiny. 

“Is she ok?” Spike asked through a broken voice.

“I think she’ll be fine, but we should get them to the hospital. Now.” Wesley said as he stood, still holding the bundled infant. As Spike picked Buffy up, she suddenly let out another cry and Wesley turned to see she had resumed her vigorous pushing. He had hoped she wouldn’t progress this fast. Then again, only three slayers had ever survived to term before and there were virtually no records regarding their birthing process, other than two of the three had hemorrhaged, one fatally. He supposed they were lucky to have arrived when they had. 

“Or we could be not so lucky,” Wesley ruefully added, as Buffy demanded to be put back on the floor. He handed the infant to Angel and knelt down once again to check on Buffy. His suspicion was confirmed as Buffy began pushing again. “Spike, I’m afraid it’s time for round two.”

Spike nodded his head and turned to Buffy but was unexpectedly interrupted right as he began to speak.

“Oh dear Lord!” Giles had come around one of the entrances and promptly spun back around, putting his back to the group. “Terribly sorry. Didn’t realize...” Just then Willow came running in, “Oh my!” She gasped and blushed deeply before joining Giles staring at the cave wall.

“Bloody hell....” Spike muttered staring at the backs of the two. Buffy started her humming again and pushed.

“Spike!” Wesley yelled.

Spike returned his attention to Buffy and soon had her back in her semi-hypnotized state.

“Rupert,” Wesley called, “I’m afraid I’m going to need your shirt.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” He said as he shed the shirt and handed it to Willow. She eyed it with horror and shook her head at Giles. They quickly passed it back and forth as if it would burn their hands.

“Oh for the love of...”Angel muttered and rolled his eyes, then he walked over and took the shirt from them. He handed the shirt to Wesley and returned his attention to the little girl he was holding.  
****************

Soon the cave was filled with another cry as Wesley cleaned and wrapped the small boy and handed him off to Spike and returned his attention to Buffy. Angel handed her the little girl and stood back to watch the new parents. He saw Spikes expression and Angel recalled his own son’s not so distant arrival and the joy he had felt as he had picked up the small infant still covered in Darla’s ashes. 

Wesley proclaimed that they were ready and Angel took the girl back and Spike handed his son back to Wesley, then wrapped Buffy up in the jacket and scooped her up in his arms.

****************

Buffy was sitting up in her bed as she watched the two vampires, each holding a tiny bundle. Giles, Wesley, and some of the girls were admiring little William, as Dawn, Xander and the rest cooed over little Ophelia. She couldn’t help feeling at the moment that everything was right with the world. The doctor had assured her that the babies were fine and healthy. They had even seemed to buy the whole unplanned home birth story they had concocted on the way to the hospital. Her head had been patched up and her doctor had assured her everything else was normal.

“All right everyone. You’re going to have those babies sick and spoiled.” Willow had come in and was shooing everyone out the door. “Besides, mom needs her rest,” She said as she pushed the highly protesting group through the doors. 

Buffy still couldn’t believe they were at the mansion. Angel and the others had moved the whole house while she had been in the hospital. They hadn’t even told her until she saw them turn on to Crawford and questioned Spike about it. She had cried when she walked into the room and saw the nursery off to the side. He’d put a door in between the two rooms so they could easily access the nursery from the bedroom.

Angel handed little Ophelia to Buffy and placed a small kiss on her forehead and one on Buffy’s cheek before he too left the room, closing the door behind him. Spike came and sat on the bed next to Buffy, bringing William with him. He sat there for long minutes just staring at the sleeping child.

“I didn’t get you anything,” Spike finally said quietly.

Buffy looked at him, confused by his statement.

“You gave me three incredible gifts and I didn’t get you anything,” He clarified, looking up at Buffy with that look of love that always seemed to melt her heart. “And I have nothing to say that could thank you enough for them.”

Buffy felt her heart swell. Spike always seemed to know what to say to make her feel this way. Wait a minute, three? He’d said three gifts.

“What’s the third gift, Spike?” She asked, brow creased in confusion.

“You, love.” He said, leaning in to place a soft kiss, but then stopped just shy of her lips.

“Marry me?” Spike whispered, staring into her gaze.

Never leaving his gaze, her brain finally settled on the only appropriate reply she could give.

"Oh, Spike, yes, of course it's yes," she whispered back, and sealed his lips with a kiss.


End file.
